REVIEW: SWEDISH SLUDGERS GLOSON EMBODY MARA ON NEW EP

Halmstad, Sweden sludge post-metal band, Gloson, have released EP, Mara, which came out today (April 5), and was released via label, Black Lion Records. It’s only two tracks but at almost eight minutes each the title of EP is most justified. Gloson are Anders Persson, guitarist and vocalist; Christian Larsson, guitarist, vocalist and drums; Kristoffer Bruhn, bassist and backing vocalist and Samuel Envik, drummer. Artists they like, they find inspiring, are Neurosis, Cult Of Luna, Kongh, ISIS, Abandon, Walk Through Fire, *shels, Terra Tenebrosa, Amebix and many more. Going back, to the summer of 2012 in Sweden, the four-piece came together with one mission in mind, creating dark music with a flickering flame of light. Eschewing political and religious themes, the band turned within to their own lives and issues. First came their 2014 release, digital EP, Yearwalker. The EP was well-received, with it rereleased in a LP format come the following year by Catatonic State from Sweden and Art of Propaganda from Germany.  Then came the song writing for the debut full-length that took place. The 2017 album, Grimen, was preceded by its first single, “Cringe”, in late 2016, and proved to be many strides forward. When asked the meaning behind the title of today’s EP, Christian was able to provide the following; indeed, it eschewing political and religious themes: “A “Mara” is the mythical/folklore personification of a nightmare – hence that very word. The Swedish word for nightmare is “Mardröm”,” he said.  “And, as such, the EP deals with exactly that; nightmares.” They released the official music video for “Usurper” last Monday (March 25), everyone’s first taste of said, new EP courtesy of Black Lion Records. 

Christian also did the mixing and mastering on the Mara EP, Sophy Fredriksson the artwork you see up top and Ogino Design design and layout. Opening track, “Usurper”, rings in eerily.  Then sliding and slamming in with that wall of guitar, biting bass and climatic drumming. The vocals, screaming of desolation and anger, are equally crushing.  Slow, clomping feet of the sasquatch through bog or mire.  Then the menacingly cleaner vocal emphasis lets you focus on the profound, philosophical lyrics of, “Is this the world we were given, is this the world we would flee/Ravens randomly strike through the shadow, ‘til the end they’re striking through me/Is this the world we were given, upon this world we will see/Whatever my world has forbidden, is forever what I will be.” Then comes the vocal fadeout as the guitar, sedate at first, builds up before going headlong back into that crushing instrumentation.  It then searches for new territory to dominate, vocals a spoken word intermission, like a feral dog or lone wolf.  The guitar becomes higher register, rather than grinding low in the dirt, like the height of howling despair.  The closing minute or so ups the ante in that respect.  The crashing drum is given a little room to breathe, brooding and moody on those toms.  The song fades into jarring perpetuity.  Indeed, out onwards into space like the aforementioned visuals.  A signal sent into posterity. Closing track, “Equinox”, drags descending and despondently.  Doomy. Mighty in its victory but a secret loser.  The guitars then spaced out as the vocal creepily gets under your skin.  Then the vocals full on bellow, hoarse and powerful. The guitars ring out and reverberate, rattling in the skull.  Contrast of spaced out guitar atmospherics and chugging elsewhere arresting and multifaceted. A middle section searches elsewhere as lead guitar, melodic and pained, finds that light at the end of the tunnel that couldn’t be found elsewhere.  This drama’s ramped up as the drums hit with cacophony and urgency, cymbals ringing out. This repeats as frustration builds and tears swell.  Though, however, light is sought and darkness seems extinguished.  At least for a little while.   Solace is wanted desperately, but intense guitar takes hold and darkness is actually only ever really around the corner. “Cascade of shifting lights and colours, all of a sudden, vanished” confirming this, darkness subsuming light and positivity.  The arrangement is pared back, quiet noodling on the guitar like some sort of low level anxiety.  Building up to breakdown, feeling and hearing nothing.  Release through death, suicide or waking from a seeming living nightmare? It’s really difficult to pick one track from these two we have, here.  One is impossibly dark and the other equally so, just with a seeming, if not happy, but better resolution.  What you’ve basically got is a story told by two equally sizeable tracks, one act one and the other act two.  “Usurper” is really one to pour over lyrically, so much thought crammed in.  “Equinox”, is equally weighty and profound, just in less words.  Basically, you can’t have one without the sequel other. Gloson are something to behold, something to shake you from your reverie of complacency when contending with most of the rubbish you come across in today’s musical mess.  It’s progressive, it tells a story.  However, both tracks are self-contained enough to stand on their own. It’s that one’s The Hobbit and the other is The Lord Of The Rings.  It would feel wrong to have an overall preference choosing one.  Gloson’s Mara EP can be bought on iTunes, here. Also visit their Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes and website pages to keep tabs on Gloson.

MUSIC NEWS: SWEDISH SLUDGERS GLOSON RELEASE MARA EP TOMORROW

Swedish sludge post-metal band, Gloson, brace for tomorrow’s release of their Mara EP.  Yes, only two tracks but at almost eight minutes each the title of EP will be most justified.   Gloson are Anders Persson, guitarist and vocalist; Christian Larsson, guitarist, vocalist and drums; Kristoffer Bruhn, bassist and backing vocalist and Samuel Envik, drummer. Artists they like, they find inspiring, are Neurosis, Cult Of Luna, Kongh, ISIS, Abandon, Walk Through Fire, *shels, Terra Tenebrosa, Amebix and many more. Going back, to the summer of 2012 in Sweden, the four-piece came together with one mission in mind, creating dark music with a flickering flame of light. Eschewing political and religious themes, the band turned within to their own lives and issues. First came their 2014 release, digital EP, Yearwalker. The EP was well-received, with it rereleased in a LP format come the following year by Catatonic State from Sweden and Art of Propaganda from Germany.  Then came the song writing for the debut full-length that took place. The 2017 album, Grimen, was preceded by its first single, “Cringe”, in late 2016, and proved to be many strides forward. When asked the meaning behind the title of tomorrow’s EP, Christian was able to provide the following, indeed, it eschewing political and religious themes: “A “Mara” is the mythical/folklore personification of a nightmare – hence that very word. The Swedish word for nightmare is “Mardröm”,” he said.  “And, as such, the EP deals with exactly that; nightmares.” They released the official music video for “Usurper” last Monday (March 25), everyone’s first taste of said, upcoming EP courtesy of Black Lion Records. 

Christian also did the mixing and mastering on the Mara EP, Sophy Fredriksson the artwork you see up top and Ogino Design design and layout. Mara EP 1. Usurper 2. Equinox Gloson’s Mara EP can be pre-ordered on iTunes, here. Also visit their Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes and website pages to keep tabs on Gloson.