Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

4065629703417

Colour

Clear

Colour details

Crystal Clear with Black Marble

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-10-06

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Warner Music Group

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

Total Cap

Clear LP

4065629703424

Artist

Svalbard

Genre GB

Metal

Label GB

Nuclear Blast

Nuclear Blast is a German independent label that specializes in metal and related music styles. Founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger, the label has become a prominent force in the metal industry. With their headquarters located in Donzdorf, Germany, Nuclear Blast Europe serves as a label, mailorder service, wholesale distributor, fulfillment service, and distribution center for several labels across Europe. In addition to their European presence, Nuclear Blast America operates as a US company with similar business tasks in collaboration with Century Media. They also have a South American branch working alongside Century Media.

A typical Nuclear Blast catalogue number follows the format "NB XXXX-F", where F represents the format of the release. This can vary but generally includes limited first editions (such as Digipak or O-Card) for both CD and DVD (-0), LPs or other vinyl formats (-1), jewelcase CDs or promo CDs/DVDs (-2), video tapes or tapes (-3/-4), box sets or limited mailorder editions with bonus CDs/DVDs (-5), some vinyl 7”s (-7), shape CDs (-8), and picture vinyls (-9). Earlier releases may only have three digits.

With an extensive catalog of metal music and an authoritative presence in the industry, Nuclear Blast continues to be a leading label for fans of heavy music

Svalbard is a post-hardcore and black metal band hailing from Bristol, United Kingdom. Formed in 2011, they have been making waves in the music scene with their unique blend of genres. Drawing inspiration from bands like Downfall Of Gaia, CELESTE, and Ithaca, Svalbard's music is characterized by its intense energy and emotional depth.

With their powerful lyrics and captivating performances, Svalbard has gained a loyal following around the world. Their music delves into themes of personal struggle, societal issues, and the human condition. The band's ability to seamlessly transition between aggressive hardcore punk elements and atmospheric black metal creates a truly immersive listening experience.

Having shared stages with renowned acts such as Conjurer, Rolo Tomassi, and Birds in Row, Svalbard continues to push boundaries within their genre. Their dynamic soundscapes combined with thought-provoking lyrics make them a force to be reckoned with in the post-hardcore and black metal scene.

Newest Listed Items

You'd be forgiven for struggling to summarise the sound of Svalbard in a few words. Since forming in 2011, the band have had their hands in black metal, post-rock, d-beat, shoegaze, hardcore, and post-metal. Whilst their music stubbornly refuses to fit neatly into one genre, one word remains a fitting adjective for the British quartet: unique.

Svalbard spent their early years playing DIY shows, releasing 3 EPs and honing their sound, before eventually dropping their debut album One Day All This Will End in 2015. Since then, Svalbard gained the momentum of a runaway freight train, releasing two further albums whilst continuing to refine their vast array of musical influences; drawing from video game soundtracks, grindcore and dream pop all buried within a distorted yet dynamic sound.

But they're not just heavy in the musical sense of the word. No one articulates the reality of mental illness as succinctly as Svalbard. With 2020's When I Die Will I Get Better the band cut so deep both musically and lyrically that it raised the questions: where can Svalbard possibly go from here? How do you follow up an album created at the darkest point of your life?

If this were a Disney movie, this would be the point where we say that new record The Weight of the Mask is the light piercing through the dark clouds, the hope returning into your heart, the promise of a happy ending… Well. It's not. The depression did not simply go away. It clinged like a limpet, it morphed over lockdown after lockdown, it grew into a beast. But it's a beast that Svalbard no longer fears. If the previous record was about facing your demons, then this album is about fighting them with everything you've got.

Written in the band's freezing cold rehearsal room in Bristol - which required two members to drive 120 miles from London every weekend - the album did not come together painlessly. The pressure of the success of their fourth album was daunting and the band's response was to take an extremely meticulous approach to writing new material. "I've lost count of the amount of times these songs changed," joked Serena Cherry (lead guitar/vocals) "but in that process of deeply analysing each musical idea we certainly learned how to get the best from each other”.

The band were keen to work with producer Lewis Johns again, as he truly understands both the heaviness and the beauty in Svalbard's sound. Lewis makes the band feel comfortable enough to draw out their darkest emotions when recording, with Serena admitting she "cried in the vocal booth when recording the lyrics to all of these songs”.

With a fourth album now under their belts, Svalbard are going from strength to strength - not just as one of the brightest sparks in metal and contemporaries of a burgeoning modern British metal scene, but as advocates for mental health.

The Weight of the Mask   

Music GB