Besvärjelsen Premiere ‘The Making of Atlas, Pt. 1′ Video
Swedish atmospheric heavy rockers Besvärjelsen release their new album, Atlas, on May 27 through Magnetic Eye Records. And to answer your next two questions: there are three of these ‘Making Of’ videos, and yes, I’ve signed on to premiere all three of them. If that makes you say to yourself, “Gee, this guy must really be a nerd for this band,” congratulations. That, indeed, is the point I’m trying to make.
There are two clips below. The first is the first part of the ‘Making Of’ series, and the second is a pronunciation guide for the band’s name. And yeah, that’s kind of a goofy idea, a funny concept, but as vocalist Lea Amling Alazam takes you through the phonetics and you see guest appearances from the likes of Howling Giant and labelmates Caustic Casanova, she also gives some background/trivia on the area of Sweden the band come from, and if you stick around there’s even a commemorative plate with the king and queen on it. And no, Besvärjelsen is not pronounced like you probably thing it is. With my North Jersey accent, I’m not sure I’d try to say it back to the band without practicing first for a long time.
Things to watch for in the making of clip? Alazam‘s many hairstyles. A Dozer LP behind guitarist Staffan Stensland Vinrot while he talks about the band getting together, a Rainbow one for drummer Erik Bäckwall, who, like bassist Johan Rockner, has been a member of Dozer (the latter still is), and some killer live footage — including what looks like a dug-out festival in a quarry; what’s that one? — that brings into emphasis the varied kinds of atmospheres one might find Besvärjelsen working with at any given point as they certainly do on Atlas, guitarist Andreas Baier stepping back in terms of production to the esteemed Karl Daniel Lidén (recently nominated for the Swedish equivalent of a Grammy for his work on the latest Greenleaf LP).
I’m gonna stop here, because I find that the more I type while listening to Atlas, the more I want to review it and, well, May’s still a long time away. We’ll get there though, and these clips offer fun and context along the way to digging deeper into the record.
Clips and the band’s latest bio follow.
Please enjoy:
Besvärjelsen, The Making of Atlas, Pt. 1
How to say “Besvärjelsen”
What to do when you like rock and doom born from the desert but your surroundings offer anything but arid lands? BESVÄRJELSEN found an impressive answer in the grim forests of their homeland in Dalarna, Sweden. Having grown up in the far north at the meeting grounds of ancient Norse and Finnish cultures amongst echoes of runes and gods, shamans and spirits, the spellbinding five-piece crafted their name from the Swedish word for “conjuring” while drawing heavy inspiration from local lore, mysticism, and the dark, old musical traditions. Yet BESVÄRJELSEN are anything but another “pagan” outfit longing for a time that never was. With its wistful melodies and towering riff-power their sophomore full-length “Atlas” represents a logical step along the course that BESVÄRJELSEN charted from the start.
The band was co-founded by guitarists and vocalists Andreas Baier and Staffan Stensland Vinrot in 2014 with a clear vision to channel the spirit and traditions of the vast Dalarna forests, a region otherwise famous for its painted wooden horses, into contemporary heavy music. Once vocalist Lea Amling Alazam arrived with a fiery passion for punk and stoner rock that had begun at the local skate park when she was just counting 13 years, Andreas and Staffan happily relegated their shared vocal duties to a supporting role – an easy choice as Lea’s distinctive voice summoned the intimacy and charisma of singers like NINA SIMONE or AMY WINEHOUSE. BESVÄRJELSEN released their debut EP “Villfarelser” in 2015, which was followed quickly by the “Exil” EP in 2016. The Swedes’ debut full-length “Vallmo” hit the streets of Stockholm and elsewhere in 2018. The album merged crushing riffs and storming drums with increasingly sophisticated melodies and thoughtful themes. With the mini-album “Frost”, BESVÄRJELSEN intended to crush stages all over Europe in 2019, before being forced into involuntary live performance hibernation for two years.
Although compelled to write separately, the band used the spare time to compile a wealth of ideas, amassed remotely and shared across the miles and months of relative solitude, which would finally result in the recording of “Atlas” with producer Karl Daniel Lidén in 2021. Re-purposing melancholic harmonies that could have been derived from the playbook of ALICE IN CHAINS, adding gravity that would make Windhand proud, and topping their upgraded sound with exciting yet intimate vocal lines, BESVÄRJELSEN have carved a towering monolith from solid rock and planted it firmly into the magical woods of their homeland to send its heavy lay-lines around the globe that is burdening the shoulders of the titan “Atlas”.
BESVÄRJELSEN is
Lea Amling Alazam- vocals
Staffan Stensland Vinrot – guitars, vocals
Andreas Baier – guitars, vocals
Erik Bäckwall – drums
Johan Rockner – bass
Besvärjelsen, “Digerliden” official video
Magnetic Eye Records on Bandcamp
Magnetic Eye Records on Facebook
Tags: Atlas, Besvärjelsen, Besvärjelsen Atlas, Dalarna, Magnetic Eye Records, Sweden
Well damn. good couple of videos about the band, was not sure I would order the album, but these videos convinced me. Magnetic Eye Records keeps turning out some good albums. Look forward to the remaining posts on the band JJ!