Hérna er á ferðinni MÖGNUÐ hljómsveit sem ber nafnið “Cult of Luna” og ég ætla sýna ykkur review um nýjustu plötu þeirra, hún er að fá frábæra dóma og ég mæli eindregið með að þið kaupið plötuna.

Hljómsveitinni er skipað svona:

Klas Rydberg vocals
Erik Olofsson guitars
Johannes Persson guitars
Andreas Johansson bass
Magnus Lindberg keyboards
Anders Teglund samples
Thomas Hedlund drums

You know when you think about it, Godflesh were one of the most influential acts in Metal history. Their grimy yet redemptive brand of metal can be blamed for the invention of both nu metal and metalcore (without Godflesh there would be no Coalesce or Lethargy and without them no metalcore) and also for post-metal. Post-metal is a term I’ve just made up, After all it’s the job of us music journalists to give names to genres that haven’t got names yet. Post-Metal is what you call your Isis/Neurosis/Pelican style stuff, bands that specialise in subtle yet epic masterpieces which burn their way into your soul with finesse rather than brutality. So its my pleasure to inform you about an album that is the high watermark in quality for this genre so far in its history.

Salvation by cult of luna is simply astounding, It’s hard to explains its immense and awe inspiring power. It’s serene and beautiful desolation is in all honesty, the only contender so far for the best album of 2004. It surges forwards and backwards like a malevolent yet macabre storm at sea. Forget all the routine death/black/power/whatever releases coming out of the metal paradise that is Scandinavia, this is the only one this year that’s on a par with masterpieces such as Entombed's Left Hand Path and Ulver's Bergtatt in terms of quality and maverick spirit.

So your first question is, what sort of bang are you getting for your buck? Well like most post metal albums, Salvation is akin to classical music in the sense that all its songs are movements in a metal symphony of sorts. None of the tracks really have the same effect when played on their own or out of sequence. Each builds on the one that precedes its, stark mixture of power and fragility to further the artistic heights that this album is able to reach. Slabs of hypnotic guitars riffs collide with haunting minimalism. Heavenly female vocals clash with Klas Rydbergs inhuman, terrifyingly primitive shouts. Then there’s the rhythm section, easily one of the best that metal has ever known, the hypnotically emotive bass works with the gothic rhythmic mana from heaven that is Marco Hildens drumming.

This album takes note of the parts that made some of the worlds greatest act tick, and merges them together. Mogwai’s sparse penetration, Katatonia’s contemplative despair, the cure’s deceptive calm, Acid Baths undeniable weight are all to be heard within this unique mix. Cult of Luna are the line between thoughtfulness and hopelessness, Salvation builds up through its eight tracks to alternatively soothe and petrify the listener. This is no one dimensional genre convention trip, this is music that works on a higher plain to most its peers.

There aren’t many albums I would give 10/10. In fact out of all the metal albums I have I would only give 7 that score. Now I can say that I can give 8 that score, and that Cult of Luna can join the ranks of the all time greats. You know by the early 90’s it became evident to most forward thinking metalheads that past masters who ruled the roost in the 80’s had lost the spark that made their classic albums so vital, and were thus irrelevant when compared to the innovators of the day. Maybe we should consider the fact that apparent greats like Morbid Angel and Mayhem haven’t done anything worth while in a decade, and that its time we let the new wave of innovators through. Innovators like Cult of Luna who strive to make previously held genre boundaries obsolete and inspire a new generation like the past masters once did. I don’t know how much more superlatives I can put on this album. In case its not clear, this is a fucking masterpiece, don’t buy the new release by a band who released your 11th favourite black/death/power/whatever album 8 years, get salvation instead, its not a reflection on past glories, its glory itself.

Einkannir:
Production: 9/10
Composition: 10/10
Musicianship: 10/10
Overall: 10/100

Höfundarrétt á http://www.scandinavianmetal.info