Svalbard – One day this will end

Last year Svalbard released an excellent split LP with label mates Pariso (who unfortunately are about to quit). Before they released that split they already had a demo-EP, and two EP’s out. About time the band the band would write enough music to release a full length? Well, Svalbard must have thought so, as they present us their debut album One day this will end.

After reviewing the split with Pariso I looked into their back catalogue and was amazed by the music I discoverd. It lead me to the conclusion Svalbard is a band with a clear vision on their sound, as their releases are very consistent in sound. I accused them of playing fast, melodic, metallic hardcore, something that can be said for the releases before the Pariso-split as well. I still think that’s basically a correct description. I’ll try to narrow it down a bit though. Think of some melodic, fast post-hardcore, add a metallic edge to the sound, some soaring post-rock guitar lines and a vocalist who’s bordering on black metal (but is still on the hardcore side of things). I guess that gives you an idea of what to expect.

One day this will end is again a very consistent album. No breaks in style. There’s no radical changes, just some refinements. With regards to One day this will end that also means there are no real highs or lows to be discovered. The songs have a very emotional, heavy feel over them. Instrumental album closer Lily feels a bit like letting go of the emotionons the album stirs up and is a perfect end for this record. Some albums that create a dense atmosphere like this get a bit too heavy or dull. That’s most certainly not the case with Svalbard. One day this will end stays energetic from the first second to the last. Some heavy, fast drumming is to blame for that. The production is crisp and clear. Every instrument can clearly be heard. There’s some softer moments on the album that really shine with this production. The louder parts are even louder because of it. All in all, this album is hard not to love. I was curious if Svalbard could fascinate me for a full album and I can only conclude they do not disappoint.

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