ALBUM REVIEW: Into The Nothing – Ended
Swedish progressive metal band ENDED are back with their third studio album Into The Nothing, their first full-length record since the release of Five Eyes back in 2017. Hailing from the town of Alingsås, the band have been making melodic magic since 2014 and have established a name for themselves in the Swedish metal sphere.
ENDED are an exemplar of the kind of passionate and elaborate music that we can expect to come from Sweden. Listeners of progressive power metal should think of the tracks as journeys rather than just songs considering their longer-than-average length, and this record is no exception. It would appear each track has been carefully curated to tell a story.
From the first track Collateral, these guys mean business. Carried by a minute-long majestic intro that builds, it sets the scene for the rest of the record. “Clawing my way towards the future” is what can be heard as the first line of lyrics, and this theme of the mortal struggle continues into the succeeding tracks. Following this strong start to the record, The Unraveling kicks off with an intricate riff that soon moves into a heavy groove that demands attention. This recurring riff correlates with its title as it seems to get fiercer as the track progresses; aurally denoting the unravelling and letting go of something.
Threaded in between the melancholic melodies and Micky Bergqvist’s heartfelt vocals are punchy drum licks and ruminative guitar solos that offer hope and motivation. Title track Into The Nothing warns of the dangers of leaving your hopes and dreams behind, but reminds us that there is always time. Virtue And Grace forces us to take a deep look at ourselves; aided by a musing guitar, it begs the question: “If we make the same mistakes, how are we to trust ourselves?“.
Further titles like Building Walls, Well Of Sorrows, War, Trolls and Colossus all do what they say on the tin. Their titles suggest different faults within human civilisation and this theme is reflected through the music – sinister guitar clangs, soaring harmonies, yearning lyrics and progressive melodies that take us to new heights.
Often, the lyrics in this genre of metal may not directly correlate with the average person’s life. They tend to be full of celestial terminology that as mortals we can’t quite relate to but because it sounds so fierce, it can take you on that journey anyway. With Into The Nothing, this spirituality through the lyrics is still achieved but through more direct sentiments to human life and its struggles. Clearly, this record was written by a bunch of humans communicating lived experiences, who want to deliver that through the most ethereal method they know.
Rating: 8/10
Into The Nothing is set for release on February 24th via Melodic Passion Records.
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