Vildhjarta are a Swedish progressive metal band and this is their third album.
Following on from 2021’s Måsstaden Under Vatten, Vildhjarta have returned with the 59-minute + Där Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar +. As much as I liked its predecessor, I like this one better.
+ Där Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar + is a djent-rich feast of progressive metal, delivered with skill and professional heaviness. It combines atmosphere and technicality well, bringing together emotion and grace, with aggression and ferocity.
Vildhjarta weave a sonic tapestry of jarring excess and syncopated beauty. There is fine detailing to be appreciated, but also brutal finesse. It’s chaos, but directed and restrained into atypical patterns, rhythmic anomalies, broken melody, and sweeping synths.
The album is a dense and busy soundscape, offering luscious riffs and mountains of atmosphere. It’s a sprawling vista that you can crawl into and immerse yourself in the smallest parts of, while the greater rages around you with effortless allure. It’s a fascinating collection of songs, with lots to explore as Vildhjarta showcase their considerable talents in no uncertain terms. It’s a contemporary metal soundtrack, offering a journey into a world that’s adjacent to many ostensibly similar bands, yet is simply superior in every way. I’m not a huge fan of djent, but Vildhjarta are the exception.
+ Där Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar + is a spectacle, almost a spectator sport, albeit one that you can immerse yourself in in isolation. The focus on blending atmosphere and heaviness works well for the band, and Vildhjarta sound immense. For fans of the style, this is an essential listen.
Wonderbox Metal 