Album Review: Blodet – Death Mother (Church Road Records)

Hailing from the depths of Sweden, the powerful and evocative musical force that is Blodet will release their new album ‘Death Mother’ on the 29th of September via Church Road Records. An exploration of life, death, and everything in between.

The sound of beautiful misery. A sound that we all love to wallow in. Blodet are a revelation in experimental music. As an entity, you can never predict what will come out of them. There is no way to know the direction their music will take, but you’ll either love it or loathe it. Most will lean towards the former, rather than the latter and the opening title track is no better example of this.

The epitome of obsessive discomfort, where you just can’t turn away from what Blodet produce even if the poignant desolation is so disconcerting. It’s here, with this opener, that the battle the band have had with the grief of losing their long-time friend and guitarist Rickie comes through.

They’re an incredibly fascinating, intriguing, exciting, and confusing band and that is further showcased with The Hour. Featuring a dynamic drumbeat, haunting and mournful vocals, deepening melodies, and an overall sense of darkness as it reaches its apex. It’s another wonderful piece of music.

Then there is Lead Me Home, a track that makes the body sway and the soul ache. Blodet pour an inordinate amount of emotion into this gorgeous track and leave the mind feeling truly touched by what the melody and vocals offer. One of the best tracks on the album for the lyrics alone.

Though there is no talking about this album without talking about the penultimate track, Without/Within. A track that passes the 15-minute mark, it’s an epic track with an epic length that takes the listeners into dark and gloomy locales on route to an impossible sense of grandeur. The combination of haunting subtle melody and cavernous post-infused heaviness is delightful. This track might very well be Blodet’s magnum opus.

So much so, that it’s actually hard at first to transition into the finale of 93-22, but as is the entire case with this album, it’s such a stunner, that it once again captivates. Here, the group change up the tone by delivering something with peppy rhythm and a fair amount of infectious vigour.

How about that as a closing track and how about this as a new album? Blodet are a very special band.

Blodet – Death Mother Track Listing:

1. Death Mother
2. The Hour
3. Lead Me Home
4. Without/Within
5. 93-22

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Church Road Records