I find myself being drawn to the Swedish music scene more than any other of late. It’s a country that stands tall and proud with its very healthy history of heavy music! pardon the tongue twister! Death-metal, black-metal, thrash-metal, you name it, these are bands that hail from the foothills of the boreal forests and the glaciated mountain ranges, and which are known the world over. And so, it stands to reason that there was inevitably going to be some seriously talented post-bands flying the flag the world over also. The roll of honor is simply too big to put on paper, but just think Cult Of Luna, A Swarm Of The Sun, EF, Oh Hiroshima, Sagor Som Leder Mot Slutet, PG.Lost, Nordsind, and so many more besides. Well, in case you haven’t done so already, you can now add Dimwind to the roster.
With their second album The Futility Of Breathing, Dimwind wanted to follow up the story from their debut album Slow Wave Violence by exploring a state of grief after losing a loved one, a topic that rests easy with many rock and metal bands when it comes to musical expression. However, when tragedy lays its head on your very own doorstep, the significance and the substance of that very topic can crush and devastate ones love and passion for something, to a point where it becomes insignificant. When guitarist Andreas Hansens’ wife suddenly passed away I’m sure nothing else mattered. It is something nobody wants to have to feel and endure, but it’s part of life, and thankfully Andreas has found some solace in his music. To quote the band, “With this release, it is Dimwind's sincere intention that the songs serve as a conversation partner for those who have ever experienced - The Futility Of Breathing”.
So, here we have it, an album that is as beautiful as it is painful. Six tracks of metal that traverses and extends across many styles of music, with post-metal and post-rock being the main influences, but there’s so much more on display here. Progressive and alternative meanderings weave and wander through every track. Big, bold riffs, thumping drums and high energy flurries tear through the album giving The Futility Of Breathing the oxygen it needs to make it memorable.
First Light Never Stays opens the album with great power underpinned by a deeply emotive melody that cradles the track along its journey. The guitars sparkle and the drums gallop with gusto, making this a very beautiful and very moving track, and one that sets the mood for the rest of the album, right up to the blast beaten finale. Simply brilliant!
Days Subside Ablaze has more of those familiar post vibes I was expecting, with its battle hardy drums and its dark, menacing guitarwork. The music peaks and valleys through a near jazzy break, before rising once more and delivering another fantastic finale. Once A Lushful Green, on the other hand begins with a slow-tempo march, which houses heavy, heart-breaking harmonies that sweep and dip through chunky shredded riffs and rumbling bass. The drumming of Jonas Eriksson really comes to the forefront here, with its aggressive stomp and its double kicked fury. Add another layer for the senses in the form of a spoken narrative and you tick all the post-music boxes that need to be ticked.
Withering Unseen brings with it a little bit of chaos and an old school rhythm that hooks you in and leaves you shaken and stirred, while The Growing Shadow Gains toys with many different styles, all under a mid-temp, doom-laden procession. Dark and menacing, it builds and rumbles towards a gritty post-strewn crescendo that gives the album its eye teeth, and has no fear of showing them.
The album closes with the final track, _ A Feeble Frame Remains_ . It’s a passage of music that carries a lot of the pain and sadness that’s found buried within the album. Dual guitars lament and pour their hearts out over a soul-searching melody, closing an album that truly is a joy to listen to. However, it holds deep within it, an undeniable hurt that beckons your attention and welcomes your embrace.
https://dimwind.bandcamp.com/album/the-futility-of-breathing