“Står jag evigt blind.”
Few bands have left as significant a mark on the progressive metal scene in recent years as Vildhjarta. Oft credited as the pioneers of the ‘thall’ movement within djent, their distinctive blend of downtuned, crushing riffs, intricate rhythms, and ambient clean guitar textures has influenced numerous other acts—including their sister band, Humanity’s Last Breath, with whom their musical and production prowess courtesy of Buster Odeholm are shared. After a decade-long wait between their debut and sophomore full-length albums, the follow-up to 2021’s måsstaden under vatten has arrived in less than half the time, as + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + now emerges in all its glory. Tightly packaged with the signature elements that have solidified Vildhjarta’s status as progressive metal legends, the album also introduces a heightened sense of cohesion and ambient storytelling—making it a release that demands to be experienced from beginning to end every time.
Indeed, it is challenging not to begin this review by summarizing just how incredible this album is from a conceptual and artistic standpoint. From start to finish, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + weaves somber and deeply emotive tales through its lyricism in every track, all wrapped in some of the most stunning artwork ever to grace a metal album. Of course, it’s not overly difficult to imagine Vildhjarta being responsible for this, given that all their past work has invited thoughtful artistic appreciation. However, this release stands out as especially captivating—the ambient undertones of the music align seamlessly with the artwork and lyrical direction, creating a truly mystifying experience that I thoroughly enjoyed despite being unable to understand the majority without external aid.
+ Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + has a runtime just four minutes shy of an hour, which finds itself on the shorter end of the spectrum for Vildhjarta; however, this time around, Vildhjarta have notably shifted away from longer compositions, favoring a broader selection of 3 to 4-minute tracks, with only a few extending beyond the six-minute mark, which is likely to blame. At first, this structure led me to think it might be an album where individual tracks favor individuality as opposed to contributing to a cohesive whole. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth—each song fits seamlessly into the larger narrative, propelling the album forward with remarkable purpose and cohesion. With that said, the album shines brightest whenever it does arrive at one of its lengthier cuts, such as the swaggering and explosive “+ sargasso +”, one of the record’s preceding singles, which seamlessly transitions between moments of beauty and brutality, culminating in a massive ending breakdown with layered pitch-shifted guitars that sound volcanic in the mix. “+ sargasso +” is also an early example that demonstrates Vildhjarta’s renewed focus on clean vocals this time around, as + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + features significantly more in this department than what has ever been seen before. This is not simply tacked on either—the compositions have undoubtedly been crafted with these moments in mind, as the instrumentation will often take a brief backseat position to let the vocals truly settle and breathe in the mix. “+ viktlös & evig +” is the star example of this, where just before the two-minute mark, guitarist Calle Thomer commits to a brief yet fantastic guitar passage, getting it out of his system before the focus begins to shift to a clean vocal passage that breaks the song up nicely.
While + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + has very few, if any moments that I would consider forgettable, the most memorable moments tend to be in the concluding phases of each of the album’s tracks as nearly every track ends with one final climactic crescendo that continuously left me wanting more. There’s the aforementioned “+ sargasso +” and its explosive outro sequence, as well as the very Humanity’s Last Breath guitar passage found at the end of “+ ? regnet, the ? +” which has a stark tonal contrast from the rest of the track. “+ stjärnblödning +” closes on a relentlessly heavy note, delivering yet another crushing breakdown reminiscent of Humanity’s Last Breath, all while a haunting ambient layer lingers in the background. While + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + certainly doesn’t lack impressive intermittent moments, Vildhjarta’s ability to savour the best for last is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in the modern metal space.
“+ den spanska känslan +” captures this same spirit and applies it to the entire album experience. Although it is the longest track, it never feels drawn out—instead, it showcases some of the boldest and most inventive instrumentation Vildhjarta have ever put to tape, as the track’s thall composition is backed by flamenco guitar parts that sound unique yet incredibly stylish overall. Even though “+ den spanska känslan +” is nearing two years old at this point, it serves as a fantastic closer and fits perfectly in this album’s finale.
+ Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + stands as Vildhjarta’s most diverse and impressive release to date. Despite featuring shorter tracks and a more concise overall runtime, the album fully embraces the “less is more” approach in quite a literal fashion —delivering more impact, depth, and creativity in a lesser runtime. As a result, the individual tracks may not stand out as strongly on their own compared to those from some of their previous albums; however, I believe + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + is the Swedish metallers’ most cohesive, laser-focused and strongest full-length album experience to date, and in a world where the album format is becoming less and less favorable for artists, delivering such a masterclass nowadays is beyond commendable.
9/10
+ där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + has been released as of May 30th through Century Media Records and can be pre-ordered here.