Cult Of Luna

The Long Road North

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ft. Colin Stetson, Mariam Wallentin.
Genre: Post-Metal.
Released: 11/02/2022
Via Metal Blade

Album Review: Cult Of Luna – The Long Road North

Sweden and metal seem to be a match made in heaven for the most part so it’s clear to see why people are so excited about Cult Of Luna’s new release ‘The Long Road North’. The post-metal band have garnered quite the dedicated fanbase so I just had to check out what had them so excited. Here is my review of Cult Of Luna’s ‘The Long Road North’.

Kicking off the record is ‘Cold Burn’ which has quite a foreboding intro that helps to create atmosphere with the use of looming sounds and quite an impactful percussion. As the song progresses, you quickly become accustomed to Cult Of Luna’s unique style that fills each of their songs with tons of character. Slow but methodically heavy, this track is an excellent way to kick off the new album which is matched by ‘The Silver Arc’. Once again, the song creates a great amount of ambience with its instrumental which adds a layer of setting behind the demonic esc vocals tearing through the song.

Up next is a shorter number titled ‘Beyond I’. Opting to open with subtle woodwind chimes before introducing a soft and sombre clean voice certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. Nevertheless, the song creates a nice break in the music and the quite contrasting style of this track may take a bit of getting used to for most fans. Following that is the behemoth of a track titled ‘An Offering To The Wild’. Coming in at 12:44, it’s safe to say you have to be prepared for the ride before embarking on this adventure. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help but lose interest in the track. The sheer length of the song always runs the risk of becoming too much and I just don’t hear enough in the music to make me want to return to it.

Thankfully, ‘Into The Night’ is a much more gripping track. The echo filled vocals are a nice addition and the reverb on the guitar allows the song to feel more alive than anything that’s come before it. ‘Full Moon’ is a great piece of atmospheric music that helps to keep the album flowing nicely as it smoothly transitions into the title track ‘The Long Road North’. Unlike the previous lengthy endeavour, this song really had me hooked from the off. Ambience peaks your interest and the way the heavier aspects are unleashed upon the listener is extremely satisfying. The song is full of contrasting styles which makes it feel like you’re listening to multiple tracks compiled into one.

Nearing the end of the record, ‘Blood Upon Stone’ really test’s the listeners’ endurance. Combined, this and the last track come in at 22:43 which is quite the commitment for two songs however I highly recommend listening to them in order. The natural progression is compelling while the track itself pushes the boundaries of what fans have come to expect from Cult Of Luna. It’s only fitting that such an atmospheric endeavour ends with an equally atmospheric song. ‘Beyond II’ does a great job of completing the album by way of instrumental. It’s not a song you’ll have to repeat but it works really well in the concept of the album.

Overall, I think this release is well worth the time. It’s obvious these kinds of albums aren’t for everyone but if you’re a fan of atmospheric music or just like more technical and progressive music then I think this is worth your time. Cult of Luna continues to be one of the most unique bands in the scene so I look forward to where this album takes them.