This Swedish band has never sounded better. It was widely believed that Cult of Luna had reached their peak after their 2016 album Mariner (in collaboration with Julie Christmas), which was followed by the incredible A Dawn to Fear and the EP The Raging River, which felt like a natural extension of the album. But they were, in fact, still climbing—maybe they’ve only just reached the summit now. Over their past few albums, Cult of Luna seems to have changed their way of writing music. They now focus predominantly on the emotions that can be provoked through sound and on letting moments of inspiration guide their song writing process, rather than thinking things through too far in advance... This loose approach makes the result even more organic and visceral, while delivering even more ambitious songs. The Long Road North is the perfect example of this.
The beginning of the album sounds like pure Cult of Luna in all its devastating glory, delivering the slow and full sound it’s known for (as heard in the opening track Cold Burn). The rest of the album highlights the band’s uncanny knack for seeing the bigger picture and always making steps in the right direction. The Long Road North is home to several anthology tracks, such as the title track and the incredible An Offering to the Wild and Blood Upon Stones. These are long journeys of over 10 minutes that show the band’s cinematic side like never before. More attention is afforded to the keyboards, yet they remain perfectly balanced with the guitars thanks to the album’s fantastic production. Cult of Luna doesn’t shy away from the light either; certain parts have a real glow about them, creating a striking contrast with the rest of their dark sound. More nuanced, more dynamic, and featuring incredibly raw and gritty vocals (as always), this album has all the ingredients of a major post metal album. This album brings together musicians from all walks of life (including the guitarists from Phoenix. Yes, the French band) who, if nothing else, all share this Swedish band’s love of music. This album is destined to be a classic. © Chief Brody/Qobuz