Review Summary: A brief and enjoyable piece of frigid post-rock from a new band on the scene.
Pershagen is a Swedish post-rock group. Silverarken is their first release, an EP comprising three songs. While far from truly unique, and too short to make an overly strong impression, Silverarken is a great atmospheric debut which shows the substantial promise of the band.
The group claims that Silverarken is a concept release, based around a religious cult which historically existed in their home region of northern Sweden. While my lack of knowledge on said topic, and the fact that this release is wholly instrumental, limits my ability to say whether this concept is tackled effectively, Silverarken undoubtedly does portray a cohesive mood throughout. This atmosphere very much reflects the excellent artwork of the EP, with its depiction of an isolated house on an island in the midst of a gray lake draped in mist. The muted colors of the scene find a musical accompaniment in each of the songs presented here. Every song on Silverarken successfully evokes this wintry atmosphere, and thus produces an isolating, although beautiful, effect.
Each of the EP’s songs is enjoyable, although little distinguishes them from each other. The first track, “Hela Vagen Hem” is slow and quiet, a placid introduction to the release’s themes. The opener finishes with a slightly more upbeat segment, which leads directly into the title track. This central song begins in a fairly casual manner, but ultimately possesses the most thundering climactic portion on the album. “1935” is the final track, and is the longest on the EP. While pleasant, it might be slightly too repetitive for its own good.
Ultimately, those searching for a particularly distinctive brand of post-rock probably should look elsewhere. Silverarken offers a relatively standardized version of the genre. Its key strength, though, is its great atmospheric quality. The chilly and bleak aura of the EP’s music is well-crafted, and makes Silverarken a likely candidate for an ideal winter listen. Pershagen demonstrates with this quality first release that their future endeavors are well-worth our attention.
