It’s not streaming yet, so maybe a little bit you have to take my word for it on this one. Bergen, Norway’s Strange Horizon are set to issue the eight-and-a-half-minute “Vacant” on March 28 through Apollon Records, and though it was put to tape in 2023, which I assume makes it concurrent to the band’s second album, Skur 14 (review here) — in other words that makes sense timing-wise but don’t quote me on it — the post-punk disaffection of the riff that seems reluctant even in launching the song because what’s the point of anything unfurls a course that’s as much garage cultism as ’90s slacker in its idolatries, but it’s weirdo doom that wins the day as the stride to the song’s middle, en route to a mellowing in the middle from which to launch a resurgence and so-stripped-down-it’s-aesthetically-complex build that’s like Joan Jett in its force of strum but willfully odd and given in to the temptations of noise as swirling layers overtop and synth noise give a brighter aspect to the going-all-the-way-out-and-not-coming-back jam that concludes, followed by just a bit of in-studio speech to bookend with the front of the song.

It’s one track, but it’s a journey of a track, in other words. And I’d love to have it at the bottom of the post for proof of same, but if it was out yet, this announcement of its impending release would be stupid late and probably pointless. Maybe a Bandcamp follow, if you’re looking for a next step to take? You can figure out how you want to proceed. Here’s this from the PR wire:

STRANGE HORIZON – Vacant

As the third album is still in production, Strange Horizon is proud to introduce the current incarnation of the band with a studio recording of the first song written by this lineup. Recorded in 2023 with Bjørn Ognøy producing, “Vacant” took us back to the roots and shows Strange Horizon at both its most melodic and its noisiest.

Bjørn Ognøy – Recording, mix and additional noise/ambience
Christian Indregard – mastering
Branca Studio – cover design

Discography:
Beyond The Strange Horizon ( 2022, Apollon Records )
Skur 14 ( 2023 Apollon Records )

Strange Horizon:
Stig V Kviljo – Guitar and vocals
Christer S Lindesteg – Bass and backing vocals
Andreas Daae Nilsen – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/strangehorizonbergen/
https://www.instagram.com/strange_horizon/
https://strangehorizon.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bergenapollonrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/apollonrecords/
https://apollonrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://apollonrecords.no

Strange Horizon, Skur 14 (2023)