9. Cult of Luna - "The Long Road North"

Cult of Luna are another band that just seems to be incapable of making bad or even run-of-the-mill records.  They have a distinctive sound and feel, yet they manage to subtly change from album to album. You can draw a musical line back from this album to 2019 “A Dawn to Fear” and then on to 2013 is quite incredible “Vertikal” but it is not a linear affair. The journey between the three is a twisty and in many places contorting affair. 

You see Cult of Luna may be a highly edifying experience, but they are not an easy one. They create music that you need to work with. At first glance, “The Long Road North” may feel like discombobulating noise. However, when you start to unwrap its layers, it reveals itself to be an intricate ecosystem of interconnecting sonic convulsions. That is a very convoluted way of saying that there is a hell of a lot going on.

It’s metal, but it’s highly complex and precision-engineered metal. Every note and every sound plays an essential role in the overarching architecture of the record. Nothing is misplaced and nothing is left to chance. Instead, we get meticulously scripted and orchestrated intersections of sound. It’s heavy and it’s also melodic but actually, neither of them are the important component here. This is about the very act of creation, the sheer thrill and anticipation of seeing what you can build.

“The Long Road North” is an intense but ultimately rewarding journey through vivid, alternating rhythm. There is so much to take in that you only really start to become at ease with this record on the third or fourth listen. And this is how music should be, this is not a dip in and sing-along on your drive home type the record. This is a frustrating but also deeply satisfying album that you will find yourself obsessing over for months to come. As I said, exactly how music should be.