Vildhjarta – där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar
Review by: Chad Pab
Review Score: 9
Listening to där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar, the new Vildhjarta album, is like watching a building collapse while it’s still being built. It shouldn’t make sense—but it’s heavy, dissonant, and mesmerizing. Right from the opening instrumental track, “byta ut alla stjärnor på himlen mot plustecken,” you get the sense that you’re stepping into something totally different.
What really jumps out about där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar is how through-composed it is. Riffs appear once and then vanish—nothing repeats like in a typical verse-chorus setup. This album demands your full attention. At times, it might sound like pure chaos, but if you’re familiar with this kind of music, you start to recognize how intentional it all is. That feeling of unpredictability isn’t a flaw—it’s part of what makes it so interesting.
Vildhjarta’s sound, or “Thall,” as the fans call it, is like djent but taken way further. It’s heavier, more polyrhythmic, and more unpredictable. The atmosphere sounds like buildings being pulverized. There aren’t any guitar solos, but this music doesn’t call for it. A solo would almost ruin the atmosphere.
The vocals grabbed me in a few different places. Some clean singing appears here and there, and I couldn’t help but think how tough it must be to write melodic lines over this kind of madness. The growls and those Swedish rolled R’s add a strange mystery to it all. Not being able to understand the lyrics didn’t take away from it—it kind of made the whole thing more intriguing.
Each track is like its own maze. You get these little grooves or eerie moments that come out of nowhere and then vanish. “Röda läppar, söta äpplen” (track six) had this really cool groove that caught my ear, but like everything else, it didn’t stick around long. That unpredictability forces you to stay present and enjoy the moment while it lasts.
The ending felt sudden at first—a clean guitar riff seemingly out of nowhere. But after a couple of listens, it started to make sense. That clean part doesn’t feel like a grand finale, but more like the album exhaling one last breath before closing.
Listening to this made a lot of other music seem safe by comparison. It’s tough to wrap your head around, and that’s what makes it addictive.
Vildhjarta’s där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar isn’t the kind of album you throw on for a track or two—it’s something you sit with, get lost in, and come out on the other side unsure of what just happened but wanting to dive back in soon. For that reason, it’s a solid 9/10.
Would I see them live?
Yeah, 100%.