Svaveldioxid Världselände 12-inch vinyl record
BLOWN OUT MEDIA offers 250 black vinyl and 250 neon-green/transparent-blood-red A-side/B-side vinyl 12-inch records with printed inner sleeve featuring band photo and lyrics in Swedish. 10 tracks at 45 rpm.
Världselände was quite probably my favourite käng album of 2023, and I am very happy to be attributed this monster of a record for review. I have been a massive fan of SVAVELDIOXID since they started in 2015, and this latest production has to be their strongest, most powerful effort yet (and the band is actually prolific). We all know that the TOTALITÄR style of Swedish hardcore has become more popular in recent years, but this band takes a different, more primitive, darker, harder-hitting but still old school approach, one that has the delicate subtlety of an angry charging mammoth on speed. You can tell that the members are experienced, that they have been involved with the genre for a long time and therefore know how things have to be done in order to convey that sense of galloping relentlessness and gruff anger that defines this very busy genre. What makes Världselände stand out is the perfect production— the balance between raw aggression, hardcore heaviness, and punk energy is ideal. I love how the instruments blend with one another, the pummeling drums, the mean vocals in Swedish, the thick riffing, the density of the guitar sound, as it confers onto the LP a genuine organic feel, a natural thickness. You can hear the scorching power of vintage SKITSYSTEM, the brutality of WOLFPACK, the primitive hardcore fury of BOMBANFALL, ANTI-CIMEX or ASOCIAL—there are also a couple of moments where a creeping death metal influence shows its head—not unlike a Scandicore synthesis. SVAVELDIOXID’s roots can be found as much in the ’80s as in the ’90s, and this new LP exemplifies how epic and ferocious käng can sound when done with such virtuosity. The only criticism I have is that the cover may look more fitting for a REPULSION-type band, I suppose. A very minor issue. This was released on Blown Out Media, a label with a pretty flawless discography so far.
-Reviewer Romain Basset, Label Blown Out Media, Issue MRR #495 • August 2024
In a world saturated by an ever-growing abundance of hardcore, punk and everything in between, it’s tough to decipher at times what will stand the test of time and what will wither into the ether.
Since 2015, Svaveldioxid has been gracing our ears and is here for the long haul.
I can say this band will stand the test of endurance with their sincere passion for good hardcore punk.
For me, punk rock has always been more about the presence of its spirit and general message than its fashion statement and these guys prove they are not here to impress you with shallow punk rock tropes, but to enhance the harsh musical experience that comes with a strong mind and message behind what they are doing.
This two-track gem (Mental Skyttegrav flexi) is a D-beat behemoth that’s sonically on point with their Stockholm roots.
We know that Sweden is home to some of the worlds best extreme music and Svaveldioxid is one that comes out on top and will continue to carry the banner in the world of classic kang punk.
The punk rock powerhouse Blown Out Media was gracious enough to release this flexi, which is a precursor to their forthcoming LP, Världselände.
This little gem (Mental Skyttegrav flexi) gives us an excellent idea of what’s to come (Världselände 12-inch record) and I personally look forward to hearing what will easily become a favorite for the year.
-Andy Lefton in No Echo reviews
Fan, fan, FAN!!! Have just undergone a käng trip after listening through this two-song flexi from Svaveldioxid. A promo thing (Mental Skyttegrav flexi) for the full length album (Världselände) that is just around the corner. And if the rest of the songs are in the same class as these, the "problem" of listing the best album of the year will be solved. The sound is damn good, raspy and fat at the same time, so recording in Sunlight was a stroke of genius I must say. Everything takes place, but without anything taking over if you know what I mean. I've liked all of Svaveldioxid's previous releases, more or less, and they've always had a damn high standard. But this is easily the best they've come up with in my opinion. Feels like they are a bit more drawn to the 80's raw punk? Maybe it's always been there, but here it feels extra clear and on the title track I get the No Security vibe. Absolutely no plagiarism should be said, but the hot riffing and tempo change after the second chorus.... And Jocke's vocals, better than ever. And I have to mention the solo in "Fucked by the war". And the bass sound, good bottom but still sluggish. And the... Well, what the hell. You get it. This is really good, and anyone who claims to have any interest in käng or råpunk must get both this and the upcoming full-length. It's not even a request, it's an order. I can also mention Blown Out Media as the label.
-bloggasfuck.blogspot.com/2023/07/svaveldioxid-mental-skyttegrav-7-flexi.html