ALBUM REVIEW: The Faceless King – Vitskär Süden
The concept album has seen a resurgence in recent times, with the intrinsic relationship between storytelling and music once again being explored in a variety of ways. This ancient relationship is at the heart of what VITSKÄR SÜDEN do. On their sophomore album The Faceless King, they continue the mythos of their central antihero and namesake, Vitskär Süden, by venturing into the realms of dark fantasy to tackle themes of rebirth and a sinister lust for power. Blending together elements of progressive rock, desert psychedelia and gothic folk, the Los Angeles-based quartet continue to expand on the lusciously majestic soundscapes that they started on their 2020 self-titled debut album. Leaving no stone unturned on the eerie fringes of the rock world, VITSKÄR SÜDEN take you on a richly immersive journey into their world.
The Faceless King is an album that reminds you of the epic Dungeons & Dragons nights venturing through the dungeons with a few cosmic horror influences thrown in there for good measure. It fully immerses you in a fantasy world where your Dark Elf Paladin slaughters countless enemies in the slimy underworld of your Dungeon Master’s creation. With avid DnD players within their ranks, VITSKÄR SÜDEN’s approach to their sophomore album feels like the intense continuation of a fiery, action packed campaign. Ambient and melodic, this album is gorgeously gothic. The band’s layered and richly textured soundscapes conjure up images of dark castles and haunting landscapes, with the solemn and sorrowful tones of Martin Garner’s vocals documenting this strange and eerie tale of the central antihero.
If the band’s debut album was sculpting the world of their imaginations, The Faceless King is the exquisite artistic detailing that brings it to life. So much so that the band created a 24-page DnD module that is compatible with the 5th Edition of the world’s most famous fantasy RPG. So when you look at the album and the labour of love that it took to craft and fully flesh out an intricate narrative, you have to applaud it as a significant artistic achievement, as not many bands have that kid of devotion to concepts in this modern age.
Musically, the album is cinematic and atmospheric. With a pretty steady pace throughout, VITSKÄR SÜDEN entwine grand, gothic synths with earthy doom riffs. For the most part, the album is quite quirky, with balladic vocals underpinned by deep, spacey prog grooves and encompassed by gothic, thought-provoking guitar leads. The gothic folk influences are definitely prevalent as there is more focus on creating a catchy melody and telling a story, while acoustic guitars also give the album an earthy solemn tone. VITSKÄR SÜDEN are interesting in the sense that they straddle a line that has PINK FLOYD and KING CRIMSON on one side and LORD VICAR and CARDINALS FOLLY on the other. In the case of The Faceless King, you get all of that wrapped up in neat package. It is difficult to not get completely wrapped up in the album’s concept and the music makes it so intensely immersive. Overall it is a pretty complete album, it has a clear aim and purpose which it delivers on brilliantly.
The adventure begins with The Way – Part 1, which is a slow burning atmospheric track, building tension and introducing you to the eerie and haunting atmospheres that transcend the album. This eventually begins to crescendo into The Way – Part 2. As VITSKÄR SÜDEN start to build the energy, more of the story begins to be told; a picture begins to form in your mind as the heavy 1970s-esque riffs guide you through the soundscapes. Archdiocese Of Worms showcases how locked in Christopher Martin (drums) and Garner are, with a steady, brooding groove underpinning the evolving dual lead guitar melodies.
Voices From Beyond The Wall feels like a psychedelic fever dream, opening up with an uncharacteristically flowery composition before becoming darker with a slow half-time beat. This ghostly track is the saddest sounding song on the album, as hopes in this dark world begin to wain. The last three tracks of the album could be descended from a PINK FLOYD suite. Opening with Shepherds On The Roadside, interluded by Bonedust And Dark and closed by The Broken Crown, this trilogy is the real climax of the album. Everything comes together across 20 glorious minutes.
With so many nuances, layers and textures, The Faceless King is a hard album to pin down. From its concept to its final climax you are embroiled in this dark tale. VITSKÄR SÜDEN are masterful storytellers and have created an album that executes their vision to the finest detail. Intricate and vivid, this is an album to take with you on those dark autumnal walks as you slay the beasts in your imagination.
Rating: 9/10
The Faceless King is set for release on November 4th via Ripple Music.
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