Världselände was quite probably my favourite käng album of 2023, and I am very happy to be attributed this monster of a record for review. I have been a massive fan of SVAVELDIOXID since they started in 2015, and this latest production has to be their strongest, most powerful effort yet (and the band is actually prolific). We all know that the TOTALITÄR style of Swedish hardcore has become more popular in recent years, but this band takes a different, more primitive, darker, harder-hitting but still old school approach, one that has the delicate subtlety of an angry charging mammoth on speed. You can tell that the members are experienced, that they have been involved with the genre for a long time and therefore know how things have to be done in order to convey that sense of galloping relentlessness and gruff anger that defines this very busy genre. What makes Världselände stand out is the perfect production— the balance between raw aggression, hardcore heaviness, and punk energy is ideal. I love how the instruments blend with one another, the pummeling drums, the mean vocals in Swedish, the thick riffing, the density of the guitar sound, as it confers onto the LP a genuine organic feel, a natural thickness. You can hear the scorching power of vintage SKITSYSTEM, the brutality of WOLFPACK, the primitive hardcore fury of BOMBANFALL, ANTI-CIMEX or ASOCIAL—there are also a couple of moments where a creeping death metal influence shows its head—not unlike a Scandicore synthesis. SVAVELDIOXID’s roots can be found as much in the ’80s as in the ’90s, and this new LP exemplifies how epic and ferocious käng can sound when done with such virtuosity. The only criticism I have is that the cover may look more fitting for a REPULSION-type band, I suppose. A very minor issue. This was released on Blown Out Media, a label with a pretty flawless discography so far.
