Sorgeldom: Inner Receivings (2010)

Review

Sorgeldom is a Swedish atmospheric black metal band whose album Inner Receivings recently came out in the US.

Their overall sound is pretty much just like a thousand other atmospheric black metal bands out there, but, as with a growing number of bands in the genre, they also incorporate a great deal of shoegaze. This makes Inner Receivings the third post-black metal album I've reviewed so far this year.

They tend to alternate between aggressive black metal sections and clean melodies (either guitar or keyboard). Vocals alternate between a nondescript black metal rasp and nothing-special clean vocals, depending on the demands of the atmosphere at the time. The bass is audible, and the production is slightly raw but clear; it does seem to lack a little punch in the scary parts.

The compositions are either 4-5 minutes or 8-10 minutes. Except for the excellent "Dårskapens Karneval", the short tracks are all filler, sounding like grossly extended interludes (especially the Slowdive cover). The longer tracks are more interesting, and are competent and compelling (if stretched out a minute or two longer than necessary). "I Kloaken Lättar Vi Ankar" and "The Cold Empty Void" are both quite good, but the title track is an obvious standout. On the other hand, I could have done without "I Väntan På Telefonsamtalet".



The Verdict: Sorgeldom don't really do a whole lot to make themselves stand out, and a great deal of this album seems to be filler. However, there are some very strong moments, mentioned above, and if they could fill a whole album with that caliber of material then it would be something to behold. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Recommended for people who want a kvlt version of Alcest, or for those who love Altar of Plagues so much they're willing to settle for the less attractive friend.