There are some bands you hear for the first time that for some reason don’t resonate with you. Then after a couple of listens, you click and you wonder why you weren’t won over from the get-go. For me, Stockholm, Sweden’s Besvärjelsen (Swedish for “Conjuring”) is such a band. Although they’ve been around for a few years—formed in 2014, they released their first LP, Vallmo, in 2018—they only came to my attention last December. It was with the release of Magnetic Eye Records’ AC/DC tribute album, Back in Black Redux, where Besvärjelsen covered the beloved title cut and upon hearing it, I was lukewarm to the cover and the band. Fast forward to about two months ago when the first single off of their upcoming LP Atlas, “Digerliden”, came out and it got my attention. It was a solid track with great vocals. It was followed by “Clouds” a month ago. This is where I got hooked. I remembered their cover of “Back in Black” and decided to give it another spin. I got it this time and it hit home. They made it their own and I was okay with the fact that it was so different than the original song which I love so much. Besvärjelsen and its charismatic lead singer Lea Amling Alazam had won me over.
So, when Atlas landed in my inbox for consideration, I was thrilled. I wasn’t prepared though for just how much this album would blow me away! Atlas is an amalgam of music genres from Rock to Doom via Prog Rock and Metal, all perfectly fused together to give monumental results. The quintet is fronted by Lea whose strong presence in the band’s videos comes across through each and every song. She’s got an amazing set of pipes reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and Adele. You can tell this group’s a cohesive unit with a polished sound that kicks things to the next level. This is a band that will soon be unstoppable, mark my words. From the fierce opening track, “The Cardinal Ride”, to the two afore-mentioned singles, to highlights like the catchy and contagious “House of the Burning Light”, the gorgeous ballad that is “Paradise”, the stellar “Descent”, to the poetic “Obscured by Darkness” and the record’s culmination with the epic 8-minute long “Divided Ends”, Atlas is a titan of an album.
Besvärjelsen is a word that you should all learn to say correctly (check out this fun video on YouTube where Lea teaches us how to pronounce it) because you’re bound to hear it quite often in the years to come. Fans of Alice in Chains and Windhand will particularly enjoy the band’s brand of music, in my opinion. When Atlas will be unleashed upon the world on May 27 via the Magnetic Eye Records label, aficionados of Occult Rock, Doom, Metal, and all its subgenres will revel in its splendour. Do yourself a favour and give this band a chance, if you haven’t already. Besvärjelsen’s Atlas is a definite album-of-the-year contender.
Besvärjelsen’s Bandcamp page: https://besvarjelsen.bandcamp.com/
Magnetic Eye Records’ Bandcamp page for Atlas: https://besvarjelsen.bandcamp.com/album/atlas
No comments:
Post a Comment