2024-03-11 08:00:55
(c) Hedda Winroth
The mission was clear from the start: Malsten were founded in 2018 to play slow, driving, epic doom that indulged in storytelling and heaviness. For their first album, the Swedes created a folk horror story in the best King Diamond tradition that sent alternating cold and warm shivers down your spine. There is now a second part: „The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill – Rites Of Passage“ skillfully continues the horror story regarding a poor soul who succumbs to an ancient evil residing in a run-down mill.
Initial folky tones lead you down the wrong, albeit suitably oppressive, path, as “Path Of The Nix” turns relatively quickly into a droning heaviness. The integration of sawing strings works well and harmonizes well with the anthemic singing of Manne Högström, who skillfully maintains the balance between pathos and ghostly figure, while martial gravity stomps around him with growing enthusiasm. Only in the last few minutes does it gain a little more momentum and dynamism, almost even something like chaos, before a long outro lets you breathe deeply. Whatever happened here, you want more of it.
“Larum” immediately develops into a spiritual experience, shining through grand gestures and ponderous leisureliness. The track barely gets going, but still packs a punch – a sometimes strange combination that uses a steam hammer and hides fine details in the midst of coarse distortion. “Laurenti Berth”, another giant, takes its time and starts almost like a ballad. Reduced instrumentation and a grave voice are a bit surprising before one of the most beautiful vocal melodies on the entire album develops into an anthem and the second half of the giant matures into a pleasantly grueling triumph.
Malsten have clapped out a record that is unusual even by Doom standards, and yet it is difficult to escape the unorthodox epic approach. The combination of pathos, anthemic vocals, stirring storytelling, powerful heaviness and extreme distortion requires one attempt or another, no question. And yet “The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill – Rites Of Passage” has become a wonderful diamond in the rough, short and sweet by genre standards, but full of powerful songwriting. The Swedes are perhaps still a bit lacking in the fine-tuning for a truly great album, but their terrible early form is already making a huge impression.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: March 15, 2024
Available via: Svart Records (Membrane)
Website: malstenband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Malstendoom
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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