The Swedes in Vildhjarta (Wildheart) are back four years after their last record, to serenade us with a new sprawling journey with Dar Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar (Where the Forest Sings Under the Eternal Spruce Trees). The creators and kings of the nanogenre ”Thall” (a subgenre of ”djent”, which is a subset of progressive metal, which is a subgenre of metal), they continue to bulldoze their way into new territory with every new release.

I reviewed Vildhjarta’s previous record, 2021’s Masstaden Under Vatten (City of Seagulls Under Water) HERE. I praised their penchant for fusing many seemingly disparate jagged elements of their adopted genre into songs that evoke a complex range of emotions. However, it is their avant-garde” stream of consciousness” writing wherein the album is consumed more as a journey rather than via bite-sized songs to be appreciated discretely. Their approach to long-winded arrangements with few to no repeatable hooks caused delirious confusion among listeners, even those steeped in the more extreme corners of the genre. I hoped that for their next record, they would tighten up their songwriting and provide more anchors for listeners to latch onto to increase replay value.

Author’s Note: Vildhjara titled every song on this record in their native Swedish. I am not a native speaker of the language and have relied on free translation tools on the internet, which often lack nuance. Natural and nuanced translations of any Swedish mentioned in this review by native speakers are appreciated. Apologies in advance for butchering the translations, if done so.

It was with that hope, that I dived into Dar Skogen Sjunger… kicking off with the opening track “Byta ut alla Stjärnor på Himlen mot Plustecken” (Replace all the Stars in the Sky with Plus Signs). Within the opening seconds, we’re hit with classic dropped-to-hell tuned guitars before yanked into an ambient soundscape, and yup, this is a Vildhjarta record! The jagged staccato nature of their songwriting and arrangements is made apparent to those new to the band and their carved-out genre. It is also one of the most straightforward pummeling tracks on the record. One of the few instrumental tracks on the record, this marks the first departure from previous records, which featured a bigger presence of instrumental tracks.  As the record progresses, it is immediately clear that vocals take a much larger piece of the thall-pie this time around.

The singles “Den Spanska Känslan” (The Spanish Feeling),”Ylva” (Eleven), “Kristallfågel” (Crystalbird), and “Sargasso” have been released as early as late 2023, almost two years before the release of the new record. Of which “Sargasso” is an early magnum opus of Dar Skogen Sjunger… “Sargasso” takes the listener along for an epic journey through various soundscapes, from the lulling grandiosity of the larger chord work, to the tumbling chugs and brief moments of manic intensity that serve as violent interludes the more gradual arrangements, this track has it all and is a microcosm of everything this iteration of the band has to offer, continuing the intensity started with “Tva Vackra Svanar” (Two Beautiful Swans). In contrast, the single “Ylva” (Eleven) felt like the first island of comfort in the maelstrom of sound so far on this record. A familiar blend of elements from the previous record, this track was among the most familiar (daresay safe) track on the record. Not allowing the listener to rest, we are dropkicked in the throat with two of the heaviest punchiest tracks on the record. “Där Mossan Möter Havet (Where the Moss Meets the Sea) and Röda Läppar, Söta Applen (Red Apples, Sweet Lips) are a sledgehammer combination. The interplay of the chugs and pulsing electronics on “Dar Mossan…” is an instant favorite.

By this point, it is clear that Vildhjarta found a formula that worked with the two Masstaden records, and are now sharpening that formula into a perfect edge. The single “Kristallfagel” (Crystal Bird), feels almost whimsical with its gypsy-esque trills and pull-offs, showing us that the guitarwork in this niche subgenre is only limited by the mania of the wielder of the instrument. The song “Regnet, the” (Rain, the) is as stylized as the name suggests, which along with the trippy music video, finally shows us the band enjoying their creations. It also shows the widest variety of vocals so far on this record (daresay their entire catalog).

Every Vildhjarta record has some absolutely jarringly and maniacally beautiful arrangement that causes me to get a shit-eating grin. Masstaden Under Vatten had “Branmarkt” and whatever the hell was going on in “Sunset Sunrise/Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise”. In the same vein, the ear-grating harmonics that kick off “Hösten Som togs Ifrån Mig” (The Autumn That Was Taken From Me) is that moment for Dar Skogen Sjunger... It is nigh impossible to not sit up and admire the sheer chutzpah of such outrageous songwriting tricks. Fortunately, they calm down (as far as they can) in “Viktlos & Evig” (Weightless and Eternal), opting for longer ambient passages. Phew! Let’s face it, “Stjarnblodning” (Star Hemorrhaging) is just the musical equivalent of a really bad (or good) acid trip!

Vildhjarta has put out several albums in a genre that has largely been uncontested. Their musicianship and songwriting bravery are seen in very few bands in our era. This is unfortunately, the last record featuring founding member and guitarist Daniel Bergstrom, a name synonymous with the band and “thall”. Second guitarist Calle Thomer (who also handles bass duties after the departure of Johan Nyberg) now becomes the sole guitarist. It will be interesting to see how this change will manifest in future releases. Their guitar chops are virtuosic, not as much in technical skill, which is expertly proficient, but in the dizzying level of diversity. Drummer Buster Odenholm (of Humanity’s Last Breath fame), has become an industry titan in his own right and the messiah for extended-range metal production. In this regard, the production on Dar Skogen Sjunger… is top notch, which is high praise for a genre oftentimes cited as a producer’s nightmare.

In many ways, Dar Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Ganar is the record to showcase vocalist Vilhelm Bladin. Vocals have never been the focal point in previous Vildhjarta records, though their presence has been increasing over time. This record is the one where vocals finally take center stage. Bladin pulls out his best vocal chops on this record exploring various sonic approaches to his growls, barks, screams, and various timbres of his clean vocal repertoire. Admittedly the lyrics being in Swedish make relating to the vocals more arcane for the average listener, but from a sonic standpoint, the vocals are as good as they come in the progressive metal space.

Sadly, many of the problems that Masstaden Under Vatten suffered from continue on this record. The overly dense songwriting of punishing arrangements and long track times make this a fatiguing listen. With the largely opaque and foreign aesthetic, it is quite difficult for the casual listener to latch onto individual moments to keep coming back to. In our decreasing attention-span era, lengthy journey records like this have diminishing returns. More focused songwriting would go a long way to putting this band on the map with the prog djent greats.

Dar Dskogen Sjunder Under Evighetens Ganar is another sonic experience that simultaneously evokes lengthy analyses yet is bafflingly vexing to pin down into a precise definition. A heavy chunk of niche progressive metal, Vildhjarta continues to push the envelope of the genre into new realms. Long live the wildheart. Thall!