''Sister'' is the third and final album by Swedish
heavy metal band
In Solitude
In Solitude was a Swedish heavy metal band from Uppsala.
History
The band formed in 2002 with Henrik Helenius, Niklas Lindström, Gottfrid Åhman, and Uno Bruniusson. Pelle Åhman (Gottfrid's brother) joined the band as their lead vocalist in ...
. This is their second album to be released through
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distr ...
, having signed with the label in 2010, and was released on 1 October 2013. The album was recorded at Studio Cobra in
Stockholm in March 2013 and was produced and mixed by Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona.
Reception
The album averaged 78/100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Andy O'Connor, writing for
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
, gave the album 7.1/10 and was largely positive about the album. In particular, he praised the song "Pallid Hands", writing that the song "brings a romanticism that hasn't been seen in metal in a while, and is the group's finest song to date. It recalls 70s
Judas Priest's more bittersweet moments, a casualty of the group's success in the 80s, or a more serious stab at
April Wine
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwin since its inception, April Wine's first success came with its second album, '' On Record'' (1972), which rea ...
's '
Sign of the Gypsy Queen'. In Solitude are a young band—Palm is the oldest member at 26—and for them to craft a song filled with weariness and whiskey-afflicted love is a stroke of 'Old Man'-like brilliance." However, he was critical of the closing track, writing that Inmost Nigredo' clocks in at just over eight minutes, as opposed to the nearly 14 minutes of 'On Burning Paths', but it still languishes without bombast. This is an unfortunate betrayal of their songwriting prowess, which the album thrives on."
Erik Highter of
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
was positive about the album, awarding it an 8/10 and concluding that "Sister is the sound of a band growing and coming into their own, drawing on disparate influences inside and outside the genre. They've taken Fate into their own hands and in the process made one of the best records of the year." Natalie Walschots of
Exclaim! was likewise positive about the album, awarding it 7/10, writing that "Dark and syrupy in tone, with just the right amount of haze, as if from sacred smoke, Sister is a fine addition to the witchy, ritualistic hard rock that's leaving an ever-darker mark on aggressive music."
Accolades
Track listing
Personnel
In Solitude
* Pelle Åhman – lead vocals
* Niklas Lindström – guitars
* Henrik Palm- guitars
* Gottfrid Åhman – bass
* Uno Bruniusson – drums
Additional
* Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona – producer
* Pelle Forsberg of
Watain
Watain is a Swedish black metal band, formed in 1998.Eduardo Rivadavia: ''Watain Biography'' Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation. The band's name is taken from an early recording by the American black metal group Von.Ronald Ziegler''Merchandise w ...
– guest guitar solo on 'Inmost Nigredo'
*
Jarboe
Jarboe Devereaux, known mononymously as Jarboe (), is an American singer and musician who came to prominence as a member of the New York City experimental rock band Swans in 1985. Jarboe and Michael Gira, the founder of Swans, were the two consta ...
of
Swans
Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Someti ...
– guest vocals on 'Horses in the Ground'
References
{{Authority control
2013 albums
In Solitude albums
Metal Blade Records albums