Album Review: A Swarm of the Sun – An Empire (Pelagic Records)

Returning from time apart to a world forever changed, dread-fuelled duo A Swarm of the Sun bring with them their fourth studio album, ‘An Empire’. Out on September 6th, 2024, via Pelagic Records.

It’s incredible just how quickly this album takes hold and how simply A Swarm of the Sun do this. Beginning this album, and the opening track This Will End in Fire in such subtle fashion, it shouldn’t be as enthralling as it is. Yet, for over seven minutes and with increasing layers of atmosphere, it proves to be simply stunning. The melancholy of it all enhanced by the vocals.

Take a really deep breath, several in fact, as this incredibly textured experience is just getting started.

The next two tracks. Heathen and The Pyre. Combined they come in at just over 30-minutes in length. That’s 12+ minutes for Heathen and 18+ minutes for The Pyre. For many, a terrifying prospect, but for those who know what the A Swarm of the Sun experience is like, salivating is more likely to be the reaction. Neither track wastes a second, but it’s also an unhurried experience. It’s not that A Swarm of the Sun want to take their time, it’s that their style of music demands it. Patience is needed, for everyone, and the reward is music that will make you gasp.

A word like ‘beautiful’ or ‘emotional’ is thrown around a lot when it comes to layered post metal and rock but when music encapsulates those words (and so many more) they deserve to be used. Yet, An Empire is more than that. It’s a soundscape that fills every part of you, that coats itself on thickly, and wraps around like a shroud, but never to the point of discomfort. Even at its most ominous, this is an album you can relax to. Although those heavy moments might cause a bit of tension, even if most are going to absolutely love them.

Tension doesn’t just come from bursts of heavy rock though, and some of the album’s most edgy moments come from melody and drone. Case in point, the insistent piano that makes the title track so special (the thickening spacey ambience is striking too). The ‘heaviest’ track on the album? It’s got to be the Burning Wall as not only does it feel particularly agitated from the start, but it becomes a cacophony of drums and droning guitars.

So, how do A Swarm of the Sun cap off this spectacular experience? By ending the album with another 18+ minute epic called Anthem. An apt title, in a way, but also hilariously misguided. At least from a conventional sense of what an anthem should be. Yet, as far as post rock and metal goes, this is every bit an anthem of passion, power, and prettiness. Remove this track and this album is a 9 or a 9.5 out of 10, but with it? You know what score it’s getting and be in no doubt that this incredible release is a contender for the best album of the year.

A Swarm of the Sun – An Empire Track Listing:

1. This Will End in Fire
2. Heathen
3. The Pyre
4. An Empire
5. The Burning Wall
6. Anthem

Links

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