New album bringing a new path for this group with dark, twisted Black Metal-rooted music, will be a surprise for the scene. Left a bit behind the previously abrasive black metal tremolo, these new songs carries a deep spiritual evolution, not being afraid to use unconventional elements to their black art. Elegant high quality digipack CD with 16 pages booklet with lyrics.
Do you ever get that feeling in your gut that you might just like a band? You’ve never heard of them before, let alone heard any of their music. And yet, something tells you to check it out. Well, that’s exactly what happened with Svoid. I received an email mentioning their name. Normally, I get hundreds of these emails and I discard about 75% of them. But with Svoid, I immediately felt a compulsion to investigate further. I don’t know why. I checked out a track on Youtube and replied, requesting access to the promo. ‘Storming Voices of Inner Devotion’ is the second release from Hungarian black metal band Svoid, a trio that was formed in 2009 by the enigmatically-named bassist/vocalist ‘S’. Joined by drummer Dániel and guitarist Gergö, their debut, ‘To Never Return’ went undiscovered but thankfully, that’s not the case with this sophomore album. Black metal is at the root of what Svoid create but theirs is not ‘classic’ black metal in any shape or form. The trio refer to it as ‘anti-cosmic metal’ but I’m not entirely sure I know what that means if I’m honest. The guitars do employ that cold, frosty staccato style and the vocals are predominantly harsh and raspy. However, ‘Storming Voices Of Inner Devotion’ employs a subtle sophistication that moves Svoid beyond being a simple black metal band. Melody plays a significant part in the music of Svoid both in terms of the music via an introduction of clean vocals here and there. There’s also a demonstrable atmosphere throughout and a really clever use of quiet and foreboding dynamics that doesn’t need all-out shock and awe to make its point. Much of the material is actually mid-paced and measured, allowing either the vocals or the bass and drums to take centre stage rather than the guitars. Occasionally, Svoid inject some groove into proceedings, creating a sense of ‘black ‘n’ roll’ from time to time. Thanks to this variety on offer across the eleven tracks, the word ‘progressive’ wouldn’t be entirely misplaced either. The lyrical content is quite striking too. As you might expect with this kind of metal, the subject matter focuses on the occult but the words are not overly convoluted or shrouded in rhetoric; instead, there’s a simplicity and a directness that I find rather poetic and powerful. But, that said, it’s the compositions themselves that bring me back for repeated listens. The album is ushered in via some ominous vocals and synth sounds before kicking into gear in impressive style with ‘Through The Horizon’ which drives along impressively with a pronounced, strong beat whilst injecting just a hint of melody and a few bars of frenetic and nasty black metal to remind listeners of their roots. It’s a surprisingly addictive track that sets the tone of the record nicely. The following song, ‘Crown Of Doom’ is one of my favourites. It increasing the melody, led from the off by a really delicious lead guitar but just gets better, ending far too quickly under the four-minute mark.In actuality, one of Svoid’s strengths is their succinct approach to song writing, with no track ever threatening the five-minute barrier. It means that the music is punchy, makes its mark and does not outstay its welcome. The same can be said of the entire album too, as it barely creeps up to the 40-minute mark. Back to the songs and ‘Never To Redeem’ is utterly magnificent. It has a bit more of a rock vibe to it initially although the guitars retain their frosty black metal tones. I love the way that the drums and bass are not lost in the mix, adding their power to a composition that evolves into a truly epic-sounding piece of music by the close. ‘Death, Holy End’ injects some top drawer atmospherics, albeit in a fittingly subtle fashion, whilst ‘Eternal’ is the kind of song that gets lodged in your brain. The chorus is simple, infectious and masterful, employing some clean vocals to great effect. It is the perfect foil for some of the heaviest and most extreme black metal on the entire record. ‘Forlorn Heart’ then bursts from the traps with an almost 80s Gothic sheen thanks to the synth sounds and a strong bass guitar whereas ‘Bloodline’ has a positively bright and breezy feel to it in spite of the harsh vocal snarling. All-in-all, I’m mightily impressed by Svoid and ‘Storming Voices Of Inner Devotion’. This is a very good, intelligently crafted album with plenty to sate many a metal fan throughout. As such, it comes with a healthy recommendation from yours truly.
Official promo video:
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