ALBUM REVIEW: The Weight Of The Mask – Svalbard
The world isn’t often a fair place but every now and then it gets something right like having SVALBARD signed to Nuclear Blast Records. The Bristol quartet are one of the best UK bands of the past decade without question and their last two albums in particular are both near-perfect, so there are few more deserving of the push they’ll get from being on one of the biggest metal labels around. The Weight Of The Mask arrives just over three years after the quite tumultuous release of the brilliant When I Die, Will I Get Better? and there shouldn’t really be anyone familiar with the band who’ll be surprised to hear that they’ve made another great record.
Four albums in, and having evolved considerably from one record to the next, there is nonetheless a certain sound that some may have come to expect from SVALBARD at this point – something soaring and emotive and melodic yet still grounded in all the fury and ferocity of post-hardcore and D-beat and black metal which remains in glorious effect across most of The Weight Of The Mask. Indeed, there are very few that can hold a candle to the band at their most urgent and visceral, as they are in the likes of Faking It, Lights Out and Be My Tomb which form three towering highlights even among many others across the record’s enrapturing 44-minute runtime.
Of course, these and all tracks on The Weight Of The Mask take on even more power through the sheer heart that has been poured into every ounce of this record. The lyrics are direct and unambiguous by design; “I am too depressed to show you how depressed I am” bellows guitarist/vocalist Serena Cherry in the aforementioned Lights Out for example, a line that highlights the unflinching exploration of mental illness and the debilitating effects it can have on one’s life that forms the overarching focus of this record. Hammered home by the strongest vocal performances that both Cherry and fellow guitarist/vocalist Liam Phelan have ever put to tape, The Weight Of The Mask becomes a solid contender for SVALBARD’s most emotionally affecting record to date, which really is saying something given their previous form.
That’s also because the album isn’t just about how unbearable life can be for someone suffering from mental illness; like many bands that deal in such themes, SVALBARD’s ultimate aim is to inspire their listeners to keep fighting and facing their battles head on. This is clearest in third track Defiance, its themes clear enough from its title alone, and ultimately informing arguably the most rousing highlight of the entire record. Even when it’s less obvious in the lyrics though – as is more often the case – musically The Weight Of The Mask retains a consistently uplifting power; the glorious soar of the melodies, the intensity of the band’s hardcore influences, and of course the fantastic and gigantic mix provided by the always brilliant Lewis Johns – all contribute to a deeply empowering final product that motivates the listener even in the face of great adversity.
Within that too there is plenty of dynamic ebb and flow to The Weight Of The Mask, with tracks like November and How To Swim Down tapping further into the band’s post-rock influences as they take their time to build to big crescendos that tug at the heartstrings. Admittedly these may need a minute to grow on some listeners, especially as some of the lyrics – like the obviously really well-meaning “I will heal you” in the latter’s story of unrequited love – run a slight risk of having a whiff of cheese about them. But then again, what may be too earnest for one person will be completely cathartic to another, and either way SVALBARD must be admired not only for their constant vulnerability but also for taking swings that might not land for everybody but could be exactly what others have been waiting to hear.
Ultimately as well, moments like these are a sign that SVALBARD continue to grow and evolve and put every ounce of themselves into their music, which is no doubt exactly how they’ve only ever made outstanding records. As closer To Wilt Beneath The Weight melts even the hardest of hearts through melody and lyrics alike (“How much will it cost to persevere?”), the sun sets on another indisputable triumph for the four-piece. So strong is their discography at this point that one must be cautious in throwing around suggestions that this is their best ever, but it’s easy enough to imagine that some will argue exactly that. The Weight Of The Mask is SVALBARD delivering to the gold standard they’ve guaranteed for quite some time, and with more vulnerability than ever it’s sure to be a deeply meaningful record to many listeners for many years to come.
Rating: 8/10
The Weight Of The Mask is set for release on October 6th via Nuclear Blast Records.
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