For Swedish unit Blodet, the ability to implement restraint has been key. The band's most recent full length release, Death Mother, is a testament to the unique ability - knowing when to unload their biggest, most effective punches and how best to set those up.
The result is a masterful five track presentation that frames the band's skillful weave of post metal, spacey alt, psychedelic folk with a tinge of post punk. Earning the kind of comparisons that align the band with the likes of SWANS and Chelsea Wolfe, Blodet have positioned themselves far from the casual listening.
Crafting alluring, intoxicating compositions, the kind that toe a fine line between beauty and eerie, Blodet have embraced their identity as outliers, to offer something stylistically reinvigorating the current landscape of aggressive art.
Among the most audacious entries from their latest Church Road Records effort, "Lead Me Home" reiterates the band's use of restraint on a track that underscores stylistic subtlety - anchored by vocalist Hilda Heller's ethereal performance and the melodic instrumental lament of guitarist Björn Sundqvist.
Complimenting the vast, transportive quality of the song, the band's own Dennis Fahlgren took on the task crafting a visual that framed the remote tranquility of the band's Swedish home and better illustrated how that serene environment has proven such an inspiration.
Fahlgren explained, "At first we were quite unsure of what 'Lead Me Home' would become. It stood out compared to our other songs. Sometimes you just have to dive straight into the unknown and that's exactly what we did. The result is perhaps our favorite song on the entire album and indeed, the start of something. We just don't really know what yet."
Fahlgren further detailed how this project spoke to the band's creative drive and their motivation to better highlight where they are from. "I'm not a real director. But I strongly believe in the do-it-yourself spirit. This applies to album covers, graphics and band images. And music videos. Do it yourself and if you can't, you try to learn and do it anyway.
The only thing I knew before we started shooting was that we needed a location that showcased nature and the desolate but beautiful surroundings of our hometown. Our guitarist Björn knew of an abandoned house just outside the city and everything fell into place when we got there."
Death Mother is currently available via Church Road Records. Get the album - HERE
