SVALBARD
When I Die, Will I Get Better?
HOLY ROAR
Post-hardcore dissidents cement themselves as an essential voice
Svalbard: this generation’s heavy lifters
WHEN THEY RELEASED
It’s Hard To Have Hope in 2018, Svalbard proved themselves as masters of channelling the zeitgeist. Outspoken, unflinching and obviously pissed off, the album saw the band blend hardcore with black metal and post-rock to rage against the relevant issues of the day. Revenge porn, unpaid internships and sexual assault were all topics openly condemned by Serena Cherry and co on their sophomore album. And while most bands would stop after identifying and shaming the injustice at hand, this quartet also had the self-awareness to go a step further. Every song asked, “How do we make it better?”, rejecting nihilism in favour of affirmative action. This wasn’t just genre-mandated anger; rather, this was four people earnestly yearning for a more egalitarian world.