If you put lyrics aside, which is not difficult to do when they are in Swedish and you’re own meager understanding is limited to English, the emotions conveyed by a human voice in the throes of intense expression become subject to changing interpretations, depending on the music behind it. That thought occurred to me (though not for the first time), as I listened to the new album by the Swedish black metal band Svederna, which will be released this Friday (April 20).

J. Holmberg’s burning howls, savage shrieks, and raw-throated yells are undeniably intense, a full-force outpouring of emotion. But the emotions the listener feels may change dramatically depending on what his talented bandmates are doing behind him. They can be heard to convey violent fury, or terrible anguish, or wild cries of defiance, simply because of how the music changes. Of course, he does his own part to change the mood, too, especially when uttering spoken words in somber tones.

And the moods do change across the eight songs on Svedjeland. Indeed, they change within every song, because Svederna are obviously interested in, and quite adept at, crafting their vibrant brand of melodic black metal with alternating ingredients and energies. Continue reading »