There’s an abyssal depth reaching far below – where light is devoured by shadow, and silence is torn asunder by cacophony. On 7 March 2025, Sweden’s Season of Mist releases Heir, the latest record from This Gift Is a Curse—a record that fuses black metal intensity with sludge-drenched doom and a touch of hardcore relentlessness (we interviewed the band back in 2012!).
The album’s sonic blueprint is built on years of evolving brutality. Founded in Stockholm in late summer 2008 by vocalist Jonas A. Holmberg and drummer Johan Nordlund, This Gift Is a Curse soon added guitarist Patrik Andersson and bassist Lars Gunnarsson.
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Their 2010 self-titled debut EP, recorded at Sunlight Studios with producer Tomas Skogsberg, gained underground traction. In 2011 the band retreated north of Stockholm to record I, Gvilt Bearer with producer Magbjork—a move that culminated in a sold-out release in 2012.
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A further descent came in 2014 with All Hail The Swinelord, tracked in an abandoned house on the outskirts of the city. The addition of second guitarist David Deravian in 2016 deepened their sound, paving the way for the uncompromising atmosphere of Heir.
Engineered and mixed by William Blackmon at Overlook Studio in Gävle, Heir was also partially recorded at Norra Begravningsplatsen in Stockholm. Guitars were tracked at Laard Studios and House of Inge Studio (engineered by Daniel Noring and TGIAC), while bass and vocals were recorded at Cold Barn—with vocals captured by TGIAC and bass with Daniel Noring. Mastering was handled by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios in Stockholm.
Guest vocals by Laura Morgan of Livmødr add a spectral layer to key tracks—appearing on “Kingdom,” “Old Space,” and “Ascension.” The cover art, created by Jonas A. Holmberg in collaboration with House of No Light .317, reinforces the record’s grim aesthetic.
The record features Jonas A. Holmberg (vocals), Patrik Andersson (guitars, vocals), David Deravian (guitars), Lars Gunnarsson (bass), and Christian Augustin (drums). Drawing comparisons to Cursed, Oathbreaker, Trap Them, and All Pigs Must Die, the band maintains its course with an uncompromising vision, delivering a sound that confronts darkness head-on without compromise.
