This is the sophomore album by Colin Bergh aka Wyrd Visions. It follows a mere 20 years on from his debut, ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ง-๐๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ณ, which was received with such unanimous acclaim when first released by Blue Fog Recordings that it was subsequently reissued by Lo-Fi legend Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie/ The Microphones) in 2014. Where ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ง-๐๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ณ used down-tuned, woebegone riffs that are almost Medieval in their long-form, hypnotic rapture, ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐จ has rebuilt that church into a cathedral. Bergh has replaced the largely acoustic settings with monolithic electric guitar and submerged vocal across 4 spellbinding songs.
Opening track โThrone Speechโ is a slowly unfurling riff, ivied by spidery harmonies before Berghโs vocal emerges with cascading, contrapuntal lyrics. It sounds like Tony Iommi interpreting Henry Purcell and sets a thrilling tone for the ensuing set. โForces of Natureโ interlaces minimal guitar lines with shuddering tremolo and Berghโs ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฉ๐ด๐ข๐ฏ๐จ vocals โ each element orbiting each other in a heaven-tethered incantation that brings to mind ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต & ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด-era Six Organs of Admittance in its pulsating, devotional intensity. โWharf Danceโ has a lysergic riff, buttressed by layers of doom-laden guitar which eventually give way to polyphonic vocal harmonies, like angels breaking free from the altarpiece. Final track, โQueenโ, starts with a minimal, hypnotic groove before being uplifted by oceanic vocals and tambourine, like a hooded druid approaching the sunstone in some ancient rite.
Stentorian and solitary, brooding and romantic โ ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐จ is a major achievement that is worth the wait of its 20 year gestation period. The king is dead, long live the ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐จ.
Edition of 100 copies. 2026.