Review Summary: Invigorating post-hardcore from a very promising band
Svalbard is one of the northernmost inhabitable places on Earth, and its desolate landscapes of frozen tundra and snow-capped, mountainous coastlines have made a prominent appearance in Phillip Pullman’s: “Northern Lights” as well as the environmental inspiration behind the region of ‘The Land of Always Winter’ in Game of Thrones. Yet, despite this rugged, glacial terrain, there is a sense of tranquil beauty. Throughout summer, the sun shines 24 hours a day and during the chilling nights, the aurora borealis is visible in all its wondrous splendour. Though not as reputable as Game of Thrones or His Dark Materials, Svalbard also serves as the namesake for the post-hardcore quartet from Bristol, UK and sonically encapsulates the scenery of Svalbard.
Svalbard’s sound is predominately rooted in the hardcore genre however they blend together an array of subgenres such as black metal and crust to establish a bludgeoning effect. Icy winds of tremolo blast forward instantaneously in “The Damage Done” which shiver into a driven rhythm section with thumping riffs and spiralling melodies at the forefront. The calculated bounce of “Unnatural Light” stands as more of an archetypal hardcore song, albeit with a more blackened aesthetic, however, there are spirited waves of guitar frozen into a thrashing wall of sound which establish Svalbard’s cross-pollination of genres further. Although the instrumentalism itself sounds intense, desperate and vigorous, it’s the dual vocalists, Serena Cherry and Liam Phelan, which drives Svalbard’s stimulating pace. During the adrenalized rushes and isolated moments of “Perspective”, their feral shrieks and expressive lyricism continually propel the vigour of each subsequent track on
“One Day All This Will End” even further.
Admittedly, each song on
“One Day All This Will End” focuses on creating intense atmospheres while simultaneously dishing out a battering rhythm. However, each song on Svalbard’s debut album is distinguishable as the band differentiates the way they build their crescendos and climaxes. For instance, the rushed, erratic atmosphere that surrounds “Disparity” evokes desperation but by adding more effects such as elevated melodies and an increased tempo into the balanced mix, Svalbard’s sense of tragedy is amplified. Similarly, “Expect Equal Respect” yields a high climax through passionate lyrics and a fierce accelerando. Conversely, “The Vanishing Point” is a spacious song that allows the ominous bass and Serena’s eerie whispers to fabricate a sinister sensation and consequently, heightens the composed shrieks and motivated riffs that follow. It’s in these melodic passages that make Svalbard stand out from the pack and allow them to generate soaring sensations that other, one-directional bands are unable to achieve; no track exemplifies this more than the captivating instrumental closer, “Lily”.
In just over half an hour, Svalbard has established an ability to create invigorating music that nails the balance between hope and hostility. Luckily, the cherry-picking of multiple genres allows the band to expand their sound easier than if they’d focused on one single genre. Arguably, the whispers in the aforementioned “The Vanishing Point” are far more evocative than the maddening shrieks and could be used more frequently during the pensive, post-metal sections of future tracks. Other than that, this is very much one of those ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ albums.
In conclusion, hardcore can often be a challenging genre to project the breathless, maniacal energy onto a recorded format than in a live environment but, having seen them live, the production of
“One Day All This Will End” captures Svalbard’s fierceness perfectly. By blending the subtleties of Sólstafir with the belligerence of Converge, Svalbard has crafted an album brimming with emotion. Hopefully, this band’s future will contradict the statement of their debut album’s title.
Employed to Serve and Svalbard were both fantastic. Really successful for Effigy's first festival. Amazing value for money too.
