Svartsyn (Sweden): “Requiem”

Sweden always delivers good bands, and Svartsyn, from Stockholm County, is no exception to this rule. The Swedish act has been active for almost 30 years if we consider the first two years as Chalice founded in 1991 by multi-instrumentalist Ornias. The brand new album Requiem is the tenth of the Swedish one-man-band, and according to Ornias it should be described as follows: "The album is written as a Requiem. It is a spiritual journey through the destruction of western civilization and the rise of the Antichrist and his eternal kingdom. It is dark and it is nightmarish." Indeed, Requiem has a funereal, gray atmosphere; in a way, it is a very Swedish album for both the mood and the sound that blends black and death metal, with the vibes of the two styles being present throughout the album; exemplary in this regard is “Little Horn”. Svartsyn produces an abysmal sound where power is not the main element, although blast beats are widely used. Requiem depicts a misanthropic and sinister world, full of primal rage. Give it a listen, and your mind will be blown away.
 
Notes:
Requiem was released on October 30, 2020 on Carnal Records as CD and digital release.
 
Personnel:
Ornias: vocals, guitars, bass
 
Session musicians:
Hammerman: drums
 
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com