Måsstaden Under Vatten

vildhjarta

Ten years. It has been ten incredibly long years since we've been graced with another vildhjarta full-length. We started seeing singles pop up as early as 2019 and every little piece of information we got seemed to only exacerbate the air of mystery regarding the album. I'm not sure anyone knew what vildhjarta was going to deliver. However, it is here now and it seems to be the spiritual successor to Måsstaden. In the modern metal landscape, vildhjarta is one of those bands that is so incredibly unique, and that is demonstrated even more so on this new record, Måsstaden Under Vatten. The band boasts incredibly intricate grooves and rhythms, all while throwing in these diving discordant bends in all random places. It is almost microtonal in a way, as it feels like every note is purposefully bent ever so slightly. As a result, you get this sound that feels skewed, and you can never seem to find your balance.

Another unique aspect of vildhjarta's music are these extra clean guitar parts that pad the background. They are very sharp, almost like a plucked harp. These elements are often doubled up with a higher octave and saturated in reverb to create a great deal of atmosphere. One of my favourite moments that make use of this unique sound is towards the end of toxin. We get a little taste of just that clean guitar, pristine, calming, and beautiful, only for it to be desecrated by the crushing djent styled guitars. Another example is right at the very end of kaos2 where we hear this magical twinkling guitar loop. This motif actually pops up a few times over the course of the record, which leads me to talk about another one of vildhjarta's strengths, and that is world building. vildhjarta have a tendency to call back quite frequently to riffs or motifs they have used either on previous songs on the record, or even on their last full-length. It continues to build this sense of wonder and mythology surrounding their music. Repurposing different riffs and motifs make their music so immersive, not simply a thing you can listen to passively. For this reason, I believe that one of the most important tracks on the record is the centerpiece, måsstadens nationalsång (under vatten). This track almost mirrors the opener on the band's last full-length, effectively creating an even stronger link between these two albums. Around halfway through, we hear that twinkling guitar motif bringing us back to present time. This also marks a point in the album where things subtly shift stylistically. Everything that has come before was heavily rhythmic, and lots of chugging guitars. However, beyond this point I feel like the band begins to really play around with riffs; various flurries of notes, often in the upper register of the guitar, but still maintaining that discordant approach in the way only vildhjarta can.

This second half is where the band really hits a stride with me. This is not to say that I don't like the first half, but there are moments where I find the music to be a tad one-dimensional. When there is a moment in the first half that really grabs me - either with a great riff or groove - the band may suddenly transition into something else and it feels like there is a loss of energy. I do really like when the band does these very sudden transitions - it keeps me on my toes - but when the band is really hitting and they go into something else that isn't as compelling, then I get a little frustrated. I rarely feel that way in the second half. With equal attention paid to these crazy riffs as well as the more djent styled, rhythmic chugging, the energy feels more even throughout.

I've been talking more broadly about the record as a whole but I do want to highlight my two favourite tracks on the record, and that is in fact the opener and the closer. lavendar haze kicks this record off with total vildhjarta insanity. It is so difficult to wrap my head around what the guitars are doing and then to hear the drums perfectly in lockstep; it's just mind-blowing. When it occasionally breaks for this high-pitched tone only to be ushered back in with a furious blastbeat for one single bar, I can feel fireworks going off in my brain. The end of this track is amazing too as it keeps the djent chugs, but inserts a little more melody into the fold; playing nicely with the clean guitar pad behind it. It is also amazing to me how the band plays with time here, cutting phrases short to create space for the cleans, or coming in late for that unexpected punch. I love the hell out of the end of paaradiso for the same reasons, except here, the melodic line feels so much more grand. It disappears for a quick moment only to come back stronger, heavier, and more epic as the melody is dropped an octave and the wretched vocals from Vilhelm Bladin (who has been killing it this whole record by the way) come in to deliver the final blow.

I really did enjoy this record quite a bit. There are so many great things in vildhjarta's corner that all function together to create a truly unique metal sound. Generally speaking, I found the first half to have really high points but also some low points, which tended to be a problem when you have a few songs that go well past the four-minute mark. The second half, however, I found to be more consistent across the board thanks to the inclusion of more riffs and a little more sense for melody. Lastly, I know people have been waiting for this record for ten years, but holy moly... did you really have to bury us in 80 minutes of material? This is a very long record, especially for metal, and while I encourage you to listen to it from start to finish - uninterrupted and without distraction - making that commitment (in the current state of my life at least) is a challenge. The last thing I've got to say is that I just really hope it doesn't take vildhjarta ten years to come out with the next one. Although, if that's how long it takes to get quality like this, then I don't mind waiting.