Sâver – From Ember and Rust
Release Date: 10th November 2023
Label: Pelagic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Metal, Sludge, Doom, Psychedelic.
FFO: Cult of Luna, Norna, Breach.
Review By: John Newlands
Sâver, are a three-piece band from the East of Norway who broke onto the radar of many when they signed to Pelagic records in 2019 and released their debut album, They Came With Sunlight. After this, COVID hit and Sâver, like many other artists, found themselves unable to get out and tour. Pelagic were keen for the band to keep up momentum, so encouraged them to make a split EP with Belgian psychedelic post-metal behemoths Psychonaut. The output was the Emerald EP, which is 36 mins of fantastic progressive post-metal which I wholeheartedly recommend.
Since then, they have made another split EP with Norwegian singer-songwriter Frøkedal in December 2022, a surprising pairing but still a rewarding listen that demonstrates the breadth of ability in Sâver. Eager for a full length release, I was happy to find out in autumn that From Ember and Rust would be released in November 2023.
The vocal style in Sâver is reminiscent of Tomas Hallbom (ex Breach, current Norna) which to my mind is a complement as I’m a big fan of Tomas’ work. There seems to be a recent shift in vocal confidence in From Ember and Rust. In the bands debut, I always felt the vocals sat back in the mix, but now the vocal delivery has significantly improved and made more prominent. The band has also employed clean vocals at key points, expanding the broad textural palate at their disposal.
This brings me to the production, I really like what’s been done here. They have introduced a more meditative & transportive qualities into From Ember and Rust, and the production supports this sound. Tracks can be crushingly heavy, abrasive, moody yet uplifting and dreamy. The band (and producer) never seem to be afraid of leaving space in a track, whether it be a simple guitar or bass line, light synth-work or a sparse drumbeat. Sometimes less is more, and the band seem to understand this. Some releases in this genre can be packed full of frequencies and instrumentation that it leaves the listener feeling sonically abused. This is not the case with From Ember and Rust, and my ears & brain appreciate this.
Picking out favourite tracks is a tricky one on this album, as I feel they are all very good. At a push, standouts for me are opener Formless, I, Evaporate (the prefect mix of post-metal heaviness with synth work akin to something from Cult Of Luna’s Vertical) The Object and album closer All In Disarray.
In closing, this is a great album and the band has come a long way since their debut. I’d recommend this album and their pervious offerings to anyone into post-metal & sludge. One of my favourite releases in the genre in 2023!
Having never seen the band live, it’s now definitely on my agenda to do so. All that remains is for Sâver to come Westward and play a show in Bergen, where I will happily buy the guys a pint to celebrate this fantastic release!
(4.5 / 5)
