There’s been a ton of buzz and attractiveness for Cult Of Luna since they’re a band who’s been around for almost two in a half decades in their career who are responsible for making the most adventurous and accessible records in metal today. These Swedish based band have solidified themselves to be a household name in the realms of sludge, post metal and even atmospheric to a extent in which their music really captures the wonders and essences to really draw the listener into their own creativeness and for a band like Cult Of Luna, this new album The Long Road North released through Metal Blade Records is a absolute treat front to back.
Musically, this album does have some very interesting elements and musical brilliance as the majority of their songs feel atmospheric, progressive, melodic and somewhat technical in which they’ve done a mighty fine job giving every instrument and layers of breathtaking melodies to make these soundscapes feel natural and appropriate when it should be remained comfortable in its own retrospect. I will say part of the album does have amazing timed signatures as the tracks are naturally flavored to perfection almost as if I were to hear the members really studied and found their footing throughout the enjoyment I’ve been experiencing to this. They’ve not only managed to write this album out of heart and character, but executing the post rock sections on the secondary half of this album that features sludgy guitar tones, rumbling bass tones, massive walls of sound to make the listener overwhelmed and the layers upon layers of adding cathartic, unearthly and slow, methodical drones to create this unsettling mood really captures the lyrical content of what they’re achieving in.
Just hearing songs such as Blood Upon Stone, An Offering To The Wild and The Silver Arc have these progressive metal, almost alternative rock components as the songs have dissonance and a post hardcore-esque tonality making them feel apocalyptic, cataclysmic and not to mentioned I get a strong influence from bands like Neurosis, The Ocean and Downfall of Gaia which are heavily structured and straightforward which these Sweden’s really dived deeper and experimented into huge boundaries making all the tracks sound unique, original and massively treacherous. The Long Road North is one of Cult Of Luna’s distinguished, distinctive, atmospheric and experimental records they’ve ever captured musically and stylistically.
Overall Score: 9.5/10
Review by Jake Butler
