Swedish Post-Metal group A Swarm Of The Sun has unveiled a live video for “The Burning Wall” from their performance at Kwadrat in Krakow, Poland during the European tour in September 2024. Mixed and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén. Video by Jovi Zhang. “The Burning Wall” is taken from A Swarm Of The Sun’s latest album, “An Empire,” released on September 06, 2024 via Pelagic Records.
Watch the video through the YouTube player below:
Swedish Post-Metal duo A Swarm Of The Sun released their long-awaited fourth studio album “An Empire” via Berlin’s Pelagic Records.
Returning from time apart to a world forever changed, “An Empire” sees Erik Nilsson and Jakob Berglund of A Swarm Of The Sun continue the compositional narrative thread seen on their breathtaking 2019 album “The Woods;” imbued with a brooding sense of melancholy that allows the band to dig ever deeper into ideas of desolation and despair whilst a newfound lyrical focus adds a tenderness that is as heartwarming as it is harrowing.
With the early bones of “An Empire” tabled by events beyond their control in 2019, Erik and Jakob came together again years later and scrapped them in favour of creating something entirely new; something distinctly different to break the cycle, defy categorisation and reflect the uncomfortable uncertainties of the times we now live in. The result is astounding, a six-track tale told in four distinct movements that are nothing short of devastating, as the outfit’s unique sonic palette flows from plaintive piano ballads to raw, full-band fury, whilst crucially leaving latent space for Jakob’s voice to shine.
Previously used to setting ‘ground rules’ or establishing a thematic framework for each project, the unexpected slow-burn process and surrounding air of trepidation meant that the A Swarm Of The Sun’s rules for “An Empire” were written as the album took on form. One early direction was to develop the album’s instrumentation purely in terms of texture; refining its sounds without compromising for the sake of convenience of familiarity. As such, “An Empire” sees the band achieve a remarkable depth of orchestration that feels at once comforting and alien.
This eerie dichotomy is used to stunning effect on the album’s title track, “An Empire.” Composed almost entirely of sombre piano chords and singer Jakob Berglund’s newfound lyrical fragility, the track is all but obliterated by the sheer weight of A Swarm Of The Sun’s brutal yet beautiful soundscapes. This time however, the delicate piano motif and Berglund’s tender confession survive the onslaught; whether this resilience inspires hope or heartbreak is left for us to decide.
With increasingly bleak times forcing the band to reassess their relationship with creativity and suffering, this new body of work captures all the anthemic, intimate highs and crushing, debilitating lows of modern life on a knife edge.
Order/Stream/Download “An Empire” here: https://orcd.co/asots
Tracklist:
01. This Will End In Fire 07:25
02. Heathen 12:12
03. The Pyre 18:16
04. An Empire 08:01
05. The Burning Wall 07:15
06. Anthem 18:01
Lineup:
Jakob Berglund / Vocals, Synths and Textures, Vibraphone, Harmonium, Musical Saw
Erik Nilsson / Guitars, Piano, Variety of Organs and Keys, Backing Vocals
Anders Carlström / Bass
Karl Daniel Lidén / Drums
Minna Larsson Heimo / Pipe Organ
Vilhelm Weréen / Trombone
