THIS GIFT IS A CURSE Unleashes Unrelenting Darkness with HEIR – Album Review

Sweden’s THIS GIFT IS A CURSE have long been at the forefront of blackened sludge metal, crafting sonic landscapes that combine aggression, atmosphere, and unrelenting heaviness. With their fourth studio album, HEIR, the band takes their art to even darker depths, creating a cataclysmic and immersive journey that positions them at the pinnacle of extreme music.

From the opening track, “Kingdom,” HEIR immediately sets a harrowing tone, delivering a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after it ends. Featuring guest vocals from Laura Morgan of Livmødr, the track blends abrasive guitar tones and pounding drums with ethereal melodies, creating a contrast between harshness and vulnerability that permeates the album. Morgan’s haunting contributions enhance the song’s already tense atmosphere, leaving a lasting impression.

As the album unfolds, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE continues to push their signature sound with tracks like “No Sun, nor Moon” and “Void Bringer.” The former, an eight-minute epic, pulses with hypnotic despair, shifting between moments of eerie calm and chaotic aggression. The latter delves deeper into black metal territory, offering sprawling riffs and an overwhelming sense of being consumed by darkness. The band expertly builds tension through each track, playing with sonic dynamics and immersing the listener in a bleak, doom-laden soundscape.

“Death Maker” stands as a moment of sharp violence, contrasting the album’s otherwise expansive nature. With its hardcore and black metal fusion, the track serves as a reminder that THIS GIFT IS A CURSE still has the ability to bring unbridled aggression when called for, showcasing ferocious drumming and venomous vocals from Jonas A. Holmberg. Similarly, the brief but haunting “Passing” interlude provides a moment of reflection before the storm resumes, leading into “Seers of No Light,” a track that further expands the band’s ability to build tension with dissonant melodies and crushing breakdowns.

The middle of HEIR sees the band embracing some of their most ambitious material to date. “Cosmic Voice” leans into post-metal, using weighty, repetitive riffs and a suffocating atmosphere that makes the track feel meditative and consuming. “Vow Sayer” follows, with intricate, punishing riffwork that creates a wall of sound, pushing the listener deeper into the band’s vision of desolation.

The closing tracks—”Old Space” and “Ascension”—are where HEIR truly reaches its apex. Both songs stretch past eight minutes, creating sprawling, atmospheric epics that mirror the vastness of the void. Laura Morgan’s vocals add an eerie contrast to Holmberg’s guttural screams, making these tracks stand out as some of the most monumental in the band’s discography. “Ascension,” in particular, serves as the perfect conclusion to the album, seamlessly transitioning between serene melancholy and explosive aggression, culminating in a cathartic release.

Produced by William Blackmon at The Overlook Studio and mastered by Magnus Lindberg, HEIR boasts a raw yet polished sound that captures the band’s energy and intensity. The guitars are thick and overbearing, the drums thunder with brutal precision, and the production ensures that each note resonates with power and clarity, allowing the album to breathe and crush at the same time.

In HEIR, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE have delivered an album that is both a testament to their evolution and a bold statement of their creative powers. It’s a collection of songs that balance brutality with intricacy, and ferocity with atmosphere. This is an album that doesn’t just speak to the listener—it consumes them, immersing them in a bleak and immersive journey through the abyss.

HEIR is not merely an album. It is a dark, violent invocation of chaos and a powerful statement from a band that has solidified its place at the apex of extreme metal. For fans of the genre, it’s a compelling, harrowing experience that demands to be heard. Prepare to be enveloped by its darkness and emerge transformed.

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Tracklist:
1. Kingdom (5:43)
2. No Sun, nor Moon (8:17)
3. Void Bringer (9:17)
4. Death Maker (4:26)
5. Passing (2:17)
6. Seers of No Light (5:52)
7. Cosmic Voice (6:51)
8. Vow Sayer (6:00)
9. Old Space (8:42)
10. Ascension (9:17)
Total runtime: 1:06:44

Line-up:
Jonas A. Holmberg – Vocals
Patrik Andersson – Guitars, Vocals
David Deravian – Guitars
Lars Gunnarsson – Bass
Christian Augustin – Drums

2×12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Red w/ Black Splatters