Oblivious – När Isarna Sjunger – Album Review

När Isarna Sjunger, the fourth studio album from Sweden’s Oblivious, swiftly follows the release of their recent EP, A Storm In The Distance, and finds these hard rockin’ Swedes in fine fettle….and delivering another strong batch of 70’s rock inspired, bluesy-proto metal.

With the majority of tracks sung in Swedish, it’s down to the music to do the talking (unless you’re fluent in Swedish of course!), and När Isarna Sjunger sure has the riffs to engage the most ardent classic rock lover!

Channeling the sounds of the behemoths of hard rock (Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Cream), Oblivious also draw on the heady influence of acts such as Diamond Head to deliver an album both warm with nostalgia and heavy on hard-hitting, yet melodic, anthems.

There’s nothing new here but Oblivious have constructed a beautiful ode to the halcyon days of rock/metal, an album brimming with hooks and choruses that, despite the language barrier, eke their way into your memory with an insistent fervour.

När Isarna Sjunger is simply bluesy, hard rock done well; an upbeat sojourn into tried and tested waters that never fails to satisfy. 7/10