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Cult of Luna - Eternal Kingdom

Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Editor's rating

9.3

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Alex Harrison
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Thursday, 31 July 2008
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Owlwood
02. Eternal Kingdom
03. Ghost Trail
04. The Lure (Interlude)
05. Mire Deep
06. The Great Migration
07. Osterbotten
08. Curse
09. Ugin
10. Following Betulas

Artist: Cult of Luna
Title: Eternal Kingdom
Genre: Progressive Metal
Release Date: 08 July 2008
Record Label: Earache Records
Format: Full-length
Country: Sweden
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Editor review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		9.3
Musicianship		9.0
Composition		10.0
Experimentation		9.0
Production		9.0
Value		9.0

First things first, Eternal Kingdom has probably the best cover artwork I've seen this year so far. If the album inside wasn't great, I would have been severely disappointed at an utter waste of great art. Fortunately for all of us, Eternal Kingdom is indeed a great album and most certainly worthy of the artwork. Now that that's out of the way, we can discuss the music.

It all starts with a dissonant chord, which then makes way for incredibly heavy riffs and possibly the slowest blast beat(sort of) ever. From this moment on, Cult of Luna have you by the throat. In all honestly I am not very familiar with Cult of Luna's work, I've heard their previous release "Somewhere Along the Highway" before, but it never really struck a chord with me the way this album does. "Eternal Kingdom" is a much darker release than "Somewhere", and certainly more aggressive. Klas Rydberg's vocals sound like an anguished roar at all times and it perfectly compliments the music whether it's heavy as fuck or melodic, slow and beautiful. The lyrics are cryptically mystical, as they are all taken from the journal of Holger Nilsson, a man charged with drowning his wife and committed to a mental institution. Nilsson painted an elaborate portrait detailing the events surrounding his wife's murder, creating a world where Owlmen and Trees walk the earth and where he is not guilty of murdering his wife. Now with Cult of Luna's music put to it, the album resonates an eerie atmosphere that sounds both archaic and prophetic at the same time.

This may have something to do with the many minds behind the music. With an 8 person line-up, you can certainly expect a certain level of intensity, or at least hope for it. For some (excluding The Ocean), 8 people in a band might be overkill, but it does truly show in Cult of Luna's music. Eternal Kingdom has so many different layers, different patterns and ideas going on at once on various different instruments that it demands multiple listens. This album may have no chance in the Apparatus Album of the Year competition, but I am confident in saying that not only is this the heaviest album I have heard this year so far, it is also the most beautifully composed. From the light xylophone breaks to the wailing saxophones in "The Lure" to the keyboards or even a simple drum accent, no member of the band has their talents wasted. It's obvious the band has a unique approach to writing music. Unlike many of these doom influenced post- metal bands, Cult of Luna don't simply play a heavy riff over and over and over again. The best way I can put it is this; Cult of Luna write songs that live. Possibly the best example I can think of is my personal favorite track on the album, "Ghost Trail". It's starts off slow as molasses with a simple drum beat and repeating guitar riff, and eventually the angry yells of a madman raving about his own Eternal Kingdom as the song crescendos on, and on and on for 10 minutes until the crushing ending. Throughout those 11 minutes the song lasts for, no ideas or concepts seem to repeat, the whole song seems to evolve right before your ears and it's a marvel to behold.

I really did not expect to be blown away by this album, because for some reason post-whatever bands without the name Isis or Neurosis don't really stick out to anyone, including myself, I don't know why that is because Cult of Luna are certainly worthy of being noted alongside or even in place of any of those bands. After only one listen to this album, I can honestly say I have fallen in love with Cult of Luna. I cannot praise this release enough, it will certainly be in my rotation for quite a while to come, and I'm sure I'll keep coming back to it.

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