Svalbard are a four-piece post-hardcore/post-metal band from Bristol, England that began in 2011. Right from the get-go, I'll admit that I have slept on this band for far, far too long. They are a name I've seen pop up for ages, and for no good reason always put off checking them out. That has most definitely changed recently, and it's been a disservice to myself that I did not listen to this band sooner, as they check all the boxes of what I'm looking for in a sound-bending hardcore/metal band. I actually started with When I Die, Will I Get Better? as I recall seeing a ton of praise for that record last year, and absolutely fell in love with it. From there I went back to their first few EP's, and while they are vastly different from where the band would end up, are still incredibly solid efforts with a sound that is absolutely up my alley. Now in hindsight the many years of recommendations for this band make sense, as they encompass all things I love about extreme music. The honest, brutal aggression, the catharsis, the technical capabilities, the chemistry of a band to meld a vast array of sounds into a singular, tight unit, Svalbard does it all and does it well. From their hardcore/post-rock origins to their current (I guess you could call it "post-metal") sound, this band has not missed a beat in developing new, creative ways to play amongst each other while producing anthems and epics for us to experience.
I've said it before, but I hate making direct comparisons of one band to another (though I do it a lot), so don't take it necessarily as x sounds like y, rather; fans of y may also like x, if you know what I mean. Having said that, fans of Deafheaven, Oathbreaker, and Converge need to pay attention here, as this could easily be one of the most talented and definite hardcore acts to emerge out of recent years. I apologize profusely for putting this off for so long, and enjoy.
1. So Much For Meritocracy
2. The Damage Done
3. Anything Goes, Nothing Stays
1. Melting Hands
2. Never Look Back
3. Pick Up The Pieces
4. Leave It
1. Flightless Birds
2. For What It's Worth
1. Let It Die - War In The Head (7 Seconds cover)
2. Pariso - Straight Hypocrisy Images (Witch Cult/Weekend Nachos cover)
3. Svalbard - This Is The End (Victims cover)
4. Mine - Everybody Hates Me (Tear It Up cover)
1. Pariso + Svalbard - Floating Anchors
2. Pariso - Howl of The Forest
3. Pariso - Underground Notes
4. Pariso - Helios, The Demise
5. Pariso - Delirium
6. Svalbard - Ripped Apart
7. Svalbard - Grayscale
8. Svalbard - Allure
9. Svalbard + Pariso - Faceless
1. Perspective
2. Disparity
3. The Vanishing Point
4. Expect Equal Respect
5. Unrequited
6. The Damage Done
7. Unnatural Light
8. Lily
1. Ripped Apart
2. Grayscale
3. Allure
4. Floating Anchors
5. Faceless
6. This Is The End
7. Flightless Birds
8. For What It's Worth
9. Melting Hands
10. Never Look Back
11. Pick Up The Pieces
12. Leave It
13. So Much For Meritocracy
14. The Damage Done
15. Anything Goes Nothing Stays
1. The Tidal Sleep - Are You OK?
2. Svalbard - Open The Cages
1. Unpaid Intern
2. Revenge Porn
3. Feminazi
4. Pro-Life
5. For The Sake Of The Breed
6. How Do We Stop It
7. Try Not To Die Until You're Dead
8. Iorek
1. Open Wound
2. Click Bait
3. Throw Your Heart Away
4. Listen To Someone
5. Silent Restraint
6. What Was She Wearing?
7. The Currency Of Beauty
8. Pearlescent
1. Faking It
2. Eternal Spirits
3. Defiance
4. November
5. Lights Out
6. How To Swim Down
7. Be My Tomb
8. Pillar In The Sand
9. To Wilt Beneath The Weight
