ALBUM REVIEW: Välde – Humanity’s Last Breath

If you feel like the current state of extreme metal is a reason to feel optimistic about the future, HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH deserve a large helping of your gratitude. Their 2013 self-titled record introduced us to a blackened tonality on the scale of which we had not seen previously. Joined at the hip by fellow Swedes VILDJHARTA, the two bands laid groundwork for a stylistic ferocity that would help forge pathways for a cacophony of bands we currently see permeating the scene. From AFTER THE BURIAL and OCEANO to CURRENTS, POLARIS and those in between – HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH have been a prized asset to metal and its sub-genre’s over the last decade.

It’s not surprising whatsoever then, that new record Välde continues to astonish. Sonically the album stands rooted in the same spot left for it by its predecessors – but that never takes away from its crushing output. The slightly over produced opener Dödsdans does give early cause for concern, Klas Blomgren‘s usually venomous drum sound comes across as loose: there’s a first time for everything. As the opening guitars of Glutton begin to slow down, and eventually chug before vocalist Filip Danielsson is released from his shackles though, normality is restored.

The band’s poker face stays firmly intact until Earthless reveals itself. It’s here where HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH distinguish themselves. More than simply a blackened death metal band; the Swedes attune symphony in areas of the track you wouldn’t think possible, the time signature changes are swift, and the tempo is cunningly deceptive. Guitarists Calle Thomer and band mastermind/producer Buster Odeholm, who have made a career out of manipulating their strings in a way you struggle to comprehend, leave you with the task of lifting your jaw from the floor at the end of this five minute assault.

As you’d expect, the complexities don’t end there – Välde casts its net far and wide over the metal spectrum. You’d be tempted to sit and ponder how exactly Dehumanize has managed to achieve such a sinister guitar tone, but you don’t get chance to. In the space of 80 seconds, the track hops from atmospheric black metal, to sludged deathcore, and then transforms into a groove lead battering ram. The guttural stomp of Hadean is no more predictable: its frenetic blast beats are offset by ethereal dual vocals. Nothing ever sounds too ambitious for the four piece, their technical dominance always reaches the limelight.

Despite their original mark on extreme metal being left eight years ago – Välde is fitting evidence as to why it remains untouched. While their blueprint has undeniably been used as a background palette by others in recent times, few have ever attempted to stand toe to toe with HUMANITY‘S LAST BREATH‘s forcefield of grandiose extremity. These four Swedes are a rare case of a band that never need to evolve, their talent spreads so vastly that another decade of this wouldn’t sound tiresome.

Rating: 8/10

Välde is set for release on February 12th via Unique Leader Records.

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