VINTERSORG

Instinctively ambitious and avowedly epic, VINTERSORG have been standard bearers for a curiously Swedish strain of extravagant bombast for a long time now. They have released ten albums prior to this latest effort, and while the quality of their music has always aspired to high levels of drama and detail, these meticulously progressive diehards have stuck so rigidly to their original template that certain releases have passed quietly by and added little to the overall, intended picture. That all seemed to change with the last VINTERSORG album. Released in 2017, "Till fjälls Del II" was a grand leap of faith, as Andreas 'Vintersorg' Hedlund went further into the prog sphere than ever before, with a 75-minute, two-disc, epic metal bonanza that was noticeably bigger and more courageous than anything his band had released before. He may have exhausted himself with such a grandiose project, because little has been heard from him since, but "Vattenkrafternas Spel" has arrived, as if by magic, and confirms that Hedlund's prolific creative output is back on track and still aiming high.

There have been moments over the last 25 years when VINTERSORG seemed to be attempting to corner the epic and progressive Norse metal market altogether. The combination of their frontman's iconic, clean vocals, and the increasingly complex arrangements that have long spewed from his artistic brain, are one of the frozen north's most idiosyncratic blueprints, and as they return after an eight-year pause, little has changed beyond a slight uptick in sonic production prowess. But it would be grossly reductive to say that "Vattenkrafternas Spel" is simply more of the same. This is a much brighter and more uplifting record than VINTERSORG have ever made, and its songs are more firmly ensconced in prog-adjacent territory than most past efforts may have aspired to. The opening "Efter Dis Kommer Dimma" is a suitably fiery introduction to this upgrade. Fervently melodic as always, with all thunderous intricacies balanced out by the folk-like warmth of Hedlund's melodies, it retains some of the band's expected metal muscle but dares to regularly stray from the overt black metal affiliation that has routinely lurked in the background on previous records.

More than ever, VINTERSORG are making music that deserves to be played on a big stage, preferably to an arena's worth of listeners, and that gleefully embraces the esoteric theatricality of it all. "Från Djupet Dunstar Tiden" is a particularly strong entry in this new musical diary, with its occasional dives into metallic ferocity, and an indulgent structure that builds from familiar-sounding riffs to something coolly unpredictable. Prog elements, which over the years have ebbed and flowed in terms of prominence, are now more freely expressed, as Hedlund leans into his ambition with a tangible sense of "fuck it, why not?"

In truth, there is probably a shade too much material here, and losing a couple of these songs would have made the overall impact much greater. But that is a minor quibble, not least because when VINTERSORG are at their sparkling best, on dazzling former single "Malströmsbrus" or the sublime "Skyrök", their music is basically flawless. Still worth learning Swedish for, "Vattenkrafternas Spel" is powerful, poetic and frequently spellbinding.