Review Summary: Where there is the infinite there is joy. There is no joy in the finite.
The above is a translation of the Chandogya Upanishad, whose lines represent the beginning tenants of several major belief systems which advocate that the body is merely a container for the spirit and the soul. This container consequently is under the constant pressure of our naturalistic desires, pleasure and pain, therefore in order to be truly free, one must attempt to separate themselves from the whims and limitations of the flesh, that atrophy the spirit and constrain the soul. To embrace the infinite. Seirom, the experimental brainchild of Mories de Jong, with And the Light Swallowed Everything detach from the bodily vessel and soar luminously into the stream of light that flows from the center of the universe. On this sophomore release Jong attempts to reveal, with a much more attentive eye than its predecessor, that blinding light--even if its too much to handle and beyond descriptions; simultaneously reaching his goal and falling quite short. Paradoxical to say, but that is the nature of these things that lie just outside of our physical domain.
Opening up, the record lavishes the listener with layers and layers of pure blissful atmosphere. As if the subject's spirit was departing this world in an out of body experience. Forgetting a taxing life tethered by mental and physical human restrictions and rising towards the light--slowly and gracefully on through the firmament. Sublime applications of electronics and instrumentations followed by affirming samples and synths, the tittle track elicits a spellbinding experience as the arrangement strives forward unrelenting against the tide and bursting through the cloudy haze in which we have found ourselves enveloped. The next few numbers introduce the typical vocal stylings present on the album. Not so much as vocals but mostly spoken words, occasionally processed, cascading and floating above the penumbral compositions. "Starshine", the fourth song includes some of the black metal elements of Jong's previous work. The guitars and bass underly the score while the blast beats can be heard restrained in the background. Nevertheless, when incorporated with the vocals, the whole song begins to loop serenely in on itself like the fractal nature of the universe.
The movements on the album are peaceful reveries, soothing us with their pulsating brilliance and warming us with their celestial corona. Evoking sentiments of introspection and yearning, treading quite closely to the electronic realms inhabited by the likes of Björk, Swarms or Télépopmusik. The tracks, "Leaving" and "Exalted" are the epitome of what this project hopes to accomplish. The former dazzles the listener with innermost reflection, as a recital of the famous Frost poem, The Road Not Taken is spoken quite delicately and pensively over a scratchy, distant aura. The merger of the timeless echoes of this poem shimmer on top of a nebulas surrounding attempting to birth, from within the most obscure corners of our heart, our grandest dreams. While the latter, is a thoroughly glorious affair. At times sounding like the trumpeting return of conquering heros, those who dared to fight for what they believed in and were adored in their return, while those who had fallen were venerated in their passing. The synths are heavy and glisten with acceptance and when the blast beats enter accompanied by a detached hymn like vocal presence the overall feeling is quite jubilant. Despite the song's crowdedness, nothing here is understated and every element has a chance to radiate in the light.
What this record lacks and this is quite striking because even though the entirety is painstakingly resplendent, is its other half. Jong isn't hindered by the dogma of black metal with Seirom, but capturing these fragmentary, fleeting, transcendental emotions is better suited when juxtaposed with the illusion of darkness that incorporating a harsher reality would achieve. The tracks where the subdued aesthetics of black metal rear their head showcase a more well rounded concept. The contrast between these differing soundscapes highlight the trance-inducing vibrancy of an attempt to search for those higher realms nestled outside human knowledge. Some movements are content with just tranquilly wandering through the grand void of space and time. Offering momentary dynamics and just enough modification in the arrangements to not become stagnant under the immense weight of the concept. Ultimately, And the Light Swallowed Everything reaches the highest virtuousness that is indeed present in all humanity but fails to similarly summit its polarity, by manifesting the wickedness that is in us as well.
