In the saturated realm of alternative music, it takes a formidable force to break through the noise. Blodet, a quintet arising from Sweden’s thriving underground, possess such force. The band’s upcoming release, ‘Death Mother,’ slated for September 29th via Church Road Records, stands as an eloquent testament to their ability to grapple with life’s heaviest questions through sound.
The making of ‘Death Mother‘ unfolded under a dark cloud; the album serves as a bittersweet monument to their late guitarist Rickie, who succumbed to cancer during its formation. His influence persists in the fibers of the album, and its completion offers both tribute and closure.
Blodet’s music borrows hues from a broad palette. Invoking the fervor of Swans and the avant-garde flair of Sonic Youth, the band also weaves in strands of post-punk and noise rock reminiscent of Chelsea Wolfe and Cult of Luna. This results in an engrossing melange that sweeps listeners into a journey both aural and emotional.
“The title track was a leftover part from our old song ‘Vision’ that we reimagined and made into something new. So I guess we find inspiration in our own music sometimes,” comments Dennis, a member of the band.
Dennis reveals that pinpointing exact influences is a murky endeavor. “‘Death Mother’ can be traced all the way back to 2019, so I’m trying hard to remember what I’ve listened to over the years while putting the songs together,” he shares. However, he does identify a trio of records that could have subtly shaped the project. Check out the full list below.
With ‘Death Mother,’ Blodet confronts the messy, beautiful paradox of human existence, where birth and decay are not endpoints but mere waypoints on a continuous loop. Their work is a clarion call to explore the hidden crevices of your psyche and to find solace in shared emotional landscapes.
As the world awaits the album’s release at the month’s end, one thing is clear: Blodet is not merely a band; they are cartographers of the soul, mapping regions we might not even know exist until we hear their songs. So, mark your calendars for September 29th, when Blodet invites us all to embark on a transformative musical journey with ‘Death Mother.’
Swans – Holy Money
Dennis: “The choppy rhythms and dissonant tone of ‘Holy Money’ have inspired us more than I really want to admit. I probably had this record in the back of my mind when we stripped more and more from the original version of ‘The Hour’. It proves that less is always more. More people should live by that.”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away
Dennis: “I love everything about this album. And it’s always been with me since it was released in 2013. Did it influence ‘Death Mother’? Very likely just from the number of times I’ve listened to it. And listening back I can hear some of the bass playing from ‘Jubilee Street’ and ‘Mermaids’ in one of the songs on our album.”
Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou – May Our Chambers Be Full
Dennis: “I rarely listen to new metal music and I think most post-metal bands sound the same in the most predictable and boring way. But not on ‘May Our Chambers Be Full’. There so much from this album that opened my mind and gave me new ideas that was used to elevate a couple of songs on ‘Death Mother’. Sometimes when Blodet is labelled as post-metal I try to think of this record and realize that things might not be so bad, after all. But still, I do not think of us as a post-metal band.”
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
Hilda: “Written by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Somewhat of a classic, filled with countless stories on the powerful force of the female psyche. The old Inuit tale ‘The Skeleton Woman’ and its perspective on healing inspired a lot of the lyrics for the album.”
Portrait de la jeune fille en feu
Hilda: “A 2019 French historical romantic drama film written and directed by Céline Sciamma. If the song Without/Within was a film it would probably be depicted like this. Forbidden desire rising from within. Strong bonds forming in the shadow of rejection. Hidden away and forgotten, then rediscovered and released in full power.”
