Burning
Saviours from Örebro, Sweden popped up on my radar with
the release of their amazing self-titled debut back in 2005. I loved what I heard
and my fascination for them grew even stronger with the fantastic follow up,
'Hundus'. Then it all came crashing down when they released their thrid album,
'Nymphs & Weavers'. Boring, tepid and lackluster is all I have to say about
the disappointment I felt regarding it. And shortly after it came out the band
called it a day. Then, a couple of years ago news filtered through that Burning
Saviours had returned and were going to release four 7" vinyl singles via
the obscure label Night Tripper Records. True to their word, that's exactly
what happened. Between 2011 and 2013 this one of a kind vinyl set was unleashed
and personally I was very pleased since the band was back and in great shape.
The only problem was the very limited pressing but all that is rectified now as
their old label, I Hate, stepped in and put all the singles on one cd, 'Boken
Om Förbannelsen'(The Book Of The Curse) making this amazing music available to
a much wider audience.
The
moment opener 'Förbannelsen'(The Curse) comes on it is very clear that Burning
Saviours are back in full force. Starting out with their trademark groove, the
distinct doom riffing á la Victor Griffin and Pentagram quickly resurfaces as
the band throws down the gauntlet. Aaah, it feels so good to have them back!
Along with the last song, 'Hon Dansade Med Döden'(She Danced With Death), they
are both sung in their native tongue. Personally, I think this works great and
it's something they should consider expanding on but that's my opinion...and
you can't always get you want, right? Besides, all their previous releases are
sung in English, and greatly so I might add. And obviously, in order to reach
more people English is the language to go for, so who can blame them.
Nothing
has changed lyrically as they still sing about occultism, nature and witchery
with great aplomb. After all, Burning Saviours have always been great
storytellers and they have lost none of that during the hiatus. Musically a
shift has occured in that the sound of 'Burning Saviours' and 'Hundus' is back
in full strength. No 'Boken Om Förbannelsen' is not a rehashed throwback
version of their music. Instead the band has taken their past and molded it
with new ideas and sounds pushing themselves onwards immensely. Doom metal as a
genre is starting to get a bit over-saturated with a lot of generic sounding
bands taking a lot of space forcing the good bands to hide in the background.
Burning Saviours are stepping up and taking responsibility to cut through the web
those plastic bands are weaving, paving the way for themselves and other real
doom troupes while breathing fresh life into the genre.
Usually
when I listen to albums, I always find two or three songs that stand out more
than others. This time around it's really hard for me to do that which is good,
since it means 'Boken Om Förbannelsen' is as complete as an album can get.
True, I did mention 'Förbannelsen' and 'Hon Dansade Med Döden' because they are
sung in Swedish so they stand out for me in that sense. However, 'I Am Lucifer'
and 'The Offering' are two other songs I keep returning to. Regardless, all 8
tracks should be ignored at your peril.
Burning
Saviours is band that has been through their fair share of trouble like most
bands. Their strength compared to others is that they have bounced back a thousandfold
or more with this release, cementing their status as a top band within the
echelons of all things doom. Needless to say, 'Boken Om Förbannelsen' is a
must-have if doom rattles your bones because this is good, good stuff indeed!
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