Dead Magic

My love is not enough to save meMy first encounter with Anna was through her 2012 album “Ceremony”. This album is a pretty good ambient pop and ethereal wave album, on which Anna shows her strength as a competent songwriter with a certain stylistic flair that is fairly unique in the musical field, featuring long organ compositions (played by Anna herself) as well as her Kate Bush-esque vocal delivery that is fragile and hopeful enough to engage the listener.Now we come to Dead Magic, 2018, the second Hausswolff album I’ve heard. I’ve got to say, this album really blew me away. It’s sinister, dark, ethereal, and musically it’s excellent stuff. The first track (The Truth, the Glow, the Fall) opens with Anna’s singing over fairly sparse instrumentation. A slow organ chord plays over Anna’s delicate, ethereal vocals, eventually joined eventually by a pendulous guitar chord, played continuously. A third of the way through the track, the tempo changes, featuring higher, more powerful vocals from Anna, singing about being a “valley free from the snow” and “will we fall, where will we fall?” The vocals really soar at this point, become more angelic and heraldic. This track is a slow burn at about 12 minutes, but one entirely worth the effort.The second track, and probably my favorite on “Dead Magic”, is “The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra”, a six minute, absolutely firey, fast paced Swans-esque drone anthem that marks a very different and drastic change from the previous song’s slow crawl. It opens up with this incredible drum and guitar combo, with sinister synths layered in the background, setting a punishing and gratifying rythm. Anna’s vocals soon kick in, singing “my feet are not enough to save me”. Maybe Anna is running from something? We gain more insight with her further refrain, “my love is not enough to save me”, as her vocal delivery twists into something demented and truly malevolent. I can’t say enough about this track, it’s just absolutely fantastic. Demanding, but worth every second.The third track, “Ugly and Vengeful”, is another slow burner, but no less for it. It reminds me of the post-rock anthems of early Godspeed You! Black Emperor, a gargantuan sixteen minutes in length and deep enough to fall into and never crawl back out. It is probably the most ambitious of the five tracks, and is quite good, though the vocal delivery doesn’t grab me as tight as “The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra”.The next two tracks are definitely slower than those previous. Both Marble Eye and Källans are pleasant to listen to for sure, but offer less musical variety and creativity. I feel like the previous three tracks set the bar almost too high, as these last two fail to live up to it.All in all, I’m very happy I purchased this album. It’s a solid 4.25 for me overall.

Anna Von Hausswolff is a Scandinavian artist that blends the mystic charm of Stevie Nicks with the banshee angst of Diamanda Galas. This record is AVH’s personal trek guiding you through her own personal underworld. There’s a unique, dark mythology present that offers mystery, despondency, epiphany and resolution in a song cycle that escapes many bands and artists popular today. Is it a break up record? Political subtext? Abstract subconscious? Only she knows for sure! This is a very rewarding listen for people that still enjoy rock records and listeners will join Anna on her mystery journey again and again.

I'm sad

Dark music and silky vocals. Many tracks feature the organ.

Her second release is still my favorite by a long shot, hopefully that is not where she peaks at! I thought she was a musician with much to offer but I'm starting to feel that I must have over estimated about her. I might consider at least one more from her before moving on!

Mojo describes this as resembling a Horror Soundtrack, but it's so much more. Grand, beautiful and deeply unsettling, this is an album like no other. Her voice is absolutely stunning and that old pipe organ is really quite incredibile. The only influences i hear are Dead can dance, PJ Harvey and possibily This Mortal coil. Release of the year so far.

An absolute triumph, I love this album so much it makes me sad, sad that I may never find anything this good again. Anna's voice is fantastic, so powerful and with a hint of gravel, at times. The songs are fantastically dark, with plenty of organ, inspiring terror and wonder, like a house with bad dreams. Quite possibly the most amazing thing I've ever listened to, or ever will. Marry me, Anna!

She has a soaring voice. Rather dark but sublime if you like that, which I do.

Dark, brooding, Gothick, chilling, imaginative, powerful, moody, exhillarating, emotive, overwhelming, epic, magnificent. Essential.

Just didn't do it for me