Review by Alex on January 11, 2019.

Usually when it comes to stoner doom I'm very reluctant, in some cases it’s immediately dismissed without second thought. That’s because I find the genre to have a somewhat laid-back “whatever” approach which I’m not a fan of. There have been some exceptional bands in this line of music that have been putting out records that are impressive musically and subject-wise particularly within the past few years. But with so many bands filling the stoner doom metal scene without trying to innovate, it becomes harder to pick-out those that do have something interesting to offer, either with the subjects discussed, musical intrigue or both. Tombtoker answers to the challenge of taking the death/doom metal form and blending it effectively with both traditional doom, stoner doom and even punk metal plus many more. With that and some interesting themes surrounding disastrous biological experimentation, I was easily captivated.

It’s great to see another band refusing to cage themselves in by conforming to the norms and stereotypes of the genre. With so many regurgitating the same sound, listening becomes a blandly excruciating experience; but with Coffin Texts it’s the opposite, as I have listened to it countless times in one day. Tombtoker’s style is unpredictable on Coffin Texts; though only an Ep, it adeptly arranges diverse sections with sensible transitions. The guitar playing is superb in handling multiple techniques thus giving a varied and memorable performance throughout the record. The traditional fuzzy sound is there, but it never interferes with the balance of the record's mix or override the other instruments and vocals. The bass and drumming are great as well in being able to keep up with the interchanging styles. And the vocal approach adds a complexion that favors the genre-juggling and concepts explored. 

You get the first few musical notes of “Warfare Revolution” and think to yourself ‘this is stoner doom’; then surprisingly you're hit by hawking yaps and mid-ranged gutturals followed by stoner rock-guitar and punk metal vocals that almost repaints the initial idea proposed by the band regarding their sound. You can hear plenty of that on “Robo Cujo” that blends crossover thrash with psychedelic doom metal/rock; and being one of the stronger recordings, it's only followed by more absorbing romances. It's displayed by Tombtoker that they are diligent at summoning attention and preserving it as time progresses on Coffin Texts. It’s easily discouraging to any listener by having so many influences reside in the makeup of a band’s sound; but if properly applied, the final result may be overly pleasing. In Tombtoker’s case, Coffin Texts has so many surprises expertly inserted that it’s impossible not to notice. “Stenchsquatch” is the highlight of Coffin Texts; it’s the song on the record that brings everything together, and being situated in the middle of the Ep adds to the feeling of completion to the record. “Stenchsquatch” has the best hooks, riffs and momentum control. It’s a pure gold-standard type of song, a real ear catcher this one. Coffin Texts is a mighty javelin toss of a record, one that sets a higher standard in challenging the future of the genre. This record should be celebrated throughout the length and breadth of the underground metal scene for its overwhelming success in mixing so many influences effectively thus creating something satisfyingly different.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Fernando on April 9, 2020.

Sweden is known and beloved for having much varied and diverse metal scene, ranging through various styles and genres. Into this pantheon enters Svarkonst, the brain child of Rickard Törnqvist, playing what he describes as “One-man HM-2 driven blackened death metal”. After two years since his roaring debut Devil’s Blood, he now gives his sophomore album Black Waves to the world.

Many people have pointed out that when it comes to “blackened death metal”, the bands that play this style ultimately tend to lean towards one side over the other, and some of them end up sounding like standard black metal but with guttural vocals instead of the usual black metal shrieking. What makes Svartkonst different (in a good way) is how Törnqvist has managed to perfectly marry old school Swedish death metal (the “HM-2” he uses to describe his style of music is a reference to the Boss HM-2 distortion pedal used by pioneering Swedish bands like Entombed and Grave) complete with the signature fuzz and distortion and the atmosphere and aggression of Swedish black metal. Törnqvist in this second opus has completely refined and polished his style to near perfection, keeping the best elements of both black and death metal, trimming the fat of both genres and keeping it simple and focused.

While the first album was an admirable effort and it did present a good balance of both subgenres, it was a bit rough around the edges as well as kind of unfocused as if all the songs where done individually and then put together into the album. On Black Waves, Törnqvist’s music is consistent and focused. This is the kind of album you experience from beginning to end, but at the same time, the singles that were released to promote the album show that each song can stand on its own. It’s like the lions from Voltron. Each lion is strong on its own but together they are even stronger. As described by Törnqvist, the key ingredient in his music is the HM-2 distortion that’s a fixture of Swedish death metal, and indeed the guitars are what take center stage. What’s impressive is how Törnqvist uses the signature distortion to enrich his guitar playing and this album is more sprawling and dynamic that its predecessor Devil’s Blood. There’s a stronger sense on atmosphere and melodies to complement the aggression, there are also some noteworthy and impressive solos, courtesy of guest musician Marcus Wiklund on the 2 longest tracks which are also the best songs in the album and display all of Törnqvist’s skills on his guitar and bass. The other major standout performance are Törnqvist’s outstanding vocals. He employs guttural roars that would work perfectly for either black or death metal but in here they are at their strongest.

The rest of the instrumentation is also equally good. The drums are as authentic and expertly played as both death and black metal require. Unlike the debut album where Törnqvist did everything (from the instrumentation to the recording), in here he has the help from some truly great musicians. I already mentioned Marcus Wiklund’s (of Ulfven fame) masterful lead guitar work, but also the contribution of drummer Henrik Almgren who shared his duties with Törnqvist, and rounding the lineup are the backing vocals of Daniel Brundin (also of Ulfven) on 4 tracks, he excels in giving the music’s atmosphere that extra layer of sonic evil.

Overall Svartkonst is one of the better blackened death metal bands to come out recently, proving that both subgenres can be mixed together without feeling disjointed or neglecting one style in favor of the other. All brought together by Rickard Törnqvist’s expert production. The man has the goods to make this band truly great and with 2 exceptional albums in his back catalogue I’d say: remember the name Svartkonst.

Best songs: 'Death Magic', 'I Am the Void', 'World Ablaze', 'Stray in the Dark', 'Ruins of Splendour', 'Black Waves'

Rating: 9.2 out of 10