ALBUM REVIEW: Carrion Movements – Novarupta

Third instalments are a tricky one. It’s a bit of a cliché at this point, but clearly one grounded in some truth; for every Return Of The King, there’s a Godfather, Spider-Man or Alien 3. Hoping to go the way of the former with the third entry in his tetralogy of records exploring the elements of fire, water, air and earth is Alex Stjernfeldt, the mastermind behind Swedish post-metal project NOVARUPTA. He’s two for two so far, with 2019’s Disillusioned Fire and 2020’s Marine Snow both receiving deserved acclaim. As anticipated, his latest record Carrion Movements turns its attention towards the element of air; but will it be a timid breeze or a full-force gale?

The answer is perhaps expected given the genre in question, but there are still a few surprises here. First off, unlike its predecessors, Carrion Movements is essentially an instrumental record. It comprises just two tracks – Eurus and Boreas – named after the Greek Gods of the East and North Wind respectively, with these stretching out to a combined length of 37 minutes. Each piece is lengthy (obviously) and ponderous, and both prove you don’t always need vocals to convey meaning. Carrion Movements is a work of intense mood and atmosphere, an evocative, dynamic and often quite stirring listen. It’s not afraid to spend time in relative quiet either, with these moments only accentuating its most powerful heft.

While he may not have recruited any singers this time around, Stjernfeldt still welcomes a few collaborators to Carrion Movements. Among them are Peo Bengtsson of BECKAHESTEN, who contributes to the record’s soundscapes, and Jussi Hämäläinen of HANGING GARDEN, who adds violin and voice to the album. If that last one’s raised an eyebrow or two, it shouldn’t really; appearing specifically on Boreas, Hämäläinen’s vocals simply provide just another texture rather than any particular source of lyrical narrative. His string contributions are even better, these adding a sweeping grandeur to the record’s already expansive scale.

Turning to the tracks themselves, Eurus is sparse and unhurried. It waits a full six-and-a-half minutes before drummer Svante Karlsson injects some propulsive intensity, only to subside again soon after. It ebbs and flows from there, building to a thunderous climax before ending on a few final moments of meditation. Boreas is probably the heavier of the two – at least in the traditional sense. It still takes its time to build, but its inevitable eruptions are even more apocalyptic. They bring the record to an epic and even hypnotic conclusion, providing a fitting close to an invariably impressive work. It all sounds excellent too, with Stjernfeldt and his collaborators coalescing to create something that feels both widescreen and richly detailed at the same time.

With just earth left to tackle now, Stjernfeldt and NOVARUPTA haven’t put a foot wrong so far. Carrion Movements is yet another well-crafted and well-rounded record from the project, one which crucially avoids re-treading too much of the same ground as its predecessors. It’s a testament to the talent of all involved, and of course to Stjernfedlt in particular, and should leave listeners eagerly awaiting what will no doubt provide a glorious conclusion to this uniquely elemental quadrilogy.

Rating: 8/10

Carrion Movements is set for release on April 22nd via Suicide Records.

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