The Weight of the Mask

The Weight of the Mask is the fourth studio album by British post-hardcore band Svalbard, released on 6 October 2023 through Nuclear Blast Records. It is the band's first album for the label, as well as their first with bassist Matt Francis.

Background and recording
In September 2020, Svalbard released their third album, When I Die, Will I Get Better? The album's critical success brought the band to the attention of Nuclear Blast Records, whom they signed with in June 2022. Signing with Nuclear Blast was a "dream come true" for co-lead vocalist and lead guitarist Serena Cherry, as most of the bands she was inspired by (including Nightwish, her favourite band) had released albums through the label.

The writing process for The Weight of the Mask lasted over two years, beginning almost immediately after the recording of When I Die, Will I Get Better? in early 2020. "Lights Out" was originally written for the latter album in 2019, but left off as Svalbard were unable to "piece it together effectively". Writing was initially hindered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented Svalbard from working on material in person, and Cherry said that it "took a while to find each other again, build a common creative bond and create synergies". Guitarist and co-lead vocalist Liam Phelan stated that the pandemic nevertheless gave the band a creative push, helping bring out more of an emotional edge to Cherry's lyrics and his music. The band officially began writing together in April 2021.

Svalbard worked on material at their practice space in Bristol; although half of the band's members were split between there and London, they arranged to meet up on weekends instead of "[emailing] each other riffs". The band were concerned about whether their material would be "good enough" for Nuclear Blast and live up to the acclaim of When I Die, Will I Get Better?, leading them to become more analytical with their songwriting. About six songs worth—approximately half—of the material written for The Weight of the Mask was scrapped. In February 2023, the band recorded the album with long-time producer Lewis Johns at The Ranch Production House in Southampton. Cherry said that "When you've worked with a producer for so many years, you feel so comfortable fully expressing yourself in the studio", and that that Johns provided her with "a safe space" to express her emotions, both musically and lyrically.

Composition and lyrics
Musically, The Weight of the Mask has been primarily described as post-hardcore and post-metal. Reviewers also noted influences of black metal, power metal, metalcore, post-rock and blackgaze. Cherry said that the album features more technical guitar parts, with some sections lacking the use of reverb effects (which has been prominent on the band's past output). The album also introduces violins to Svalbard's sound, performed by the band's rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist Liam Phelan. Cherry compared their use to My Dying Bride. Svalbard had previously attempted to incorporate violins on When I Die, Will I Get Better?, but felt that they "didn't sound right" for the album.

The Weight of the Mask was described by Bandcamp as "the first Svalbard album that’s thematically focused entirely inward"; its lyrics focus on themes of mental health, anxiety, depression and love, forgoing the social and political themes of their previous albums. They are presented in a direct and blunt manner, and do not use metaphors. In a 2023 interview with Kerrang!, Cherry said: "I think there's something really, really powerful in being completely honest and open and down to earth, about depression and the reality of depression, rather than dressing it up in a poetic manner. Hopefully, in being so direct about it, I can make others feel like they're not alone with what they're going through." She also attributed its lack of political lyrics to her exhaustion with the contemporary political situation in the United Kingdom, stating she had become "almost too consumed by frustration."

"Faking It" is about the problems that forced positivity can have on those who suffer from depression, who "can feel guilted into putting on a happy mask". "Eternal Spirits" was written as a tribute to deceased musicians within the metal community; the song was specifically dedicated to Joey Jordison, former drummer of Slipknot, who died in 2021. Cherry described "November" as "sort-of anti-Christmas song – it's for everyone else out there who finds that time of year hard, when every other Christmas song is talking about how magical this time of year is." The song features spoken word elements inspired by the Saturnus song "For Your Demons". "Lights Out" was titled after the 2003 album of the same name by Antimatter, and details the struggle of reaching out "when you’re falling apart". Cherry said that she wrote the lyrics to "How to Swim Down", a song about unrequited love, from the perspective of a World of Warcraft healer to "illustrate this point, of selflessly pouring your energy into someone from a distance". Originally intended to be an instrumental bonus track, Johns helped Svalbard flesh the song out by encouraging them to add more instrumental and vocal layers.

Release and promotion
Svalbard "unofficially" began the promotional cycle for The Weight of the Mask with the release of the album's lead single, "Eternal Spirits", on 27 February 2023. After the single's release, Svalbard joined Cult of Luna for a tour of Europe from 17 March to 31 March 2023. The band played at a number of festivals in the summer of 2023, starting with the Portals Festival in London on 28 May 2023, and Hellfest in Clisson, France, on 17 June 2023. On 12 July 2023, Svalbard announced the release of The Weight of the Mask and released "Faking It" as the album's second single. Its music video was inspired by "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence. On 15 August 2023, "How to Swim Down" was released as the third single, coupled with an animated music video by Boy Tillkens. The album was released on 6 October 2023 and became Svalbard's first to chart, debuting at number 29 on the UK Independent Albums Chart and number 79 on the Scottish Albums Chart.

Following the album's release, Svalbard embarked on a second tour of Europe between 14 October and 21 October 2023. On 31 January 2024, the band released a live music video for "To Wilt Beneath the Weight", filmed at the 2023 Beyond the Redshift Festival at the O2 Forum in London. Between 6 March and 24 March 2024, Svalbard and Wayfarer supported Enslaved on their first European club tour since 2018. Between 18 May and 20 May 2024, Svalbard toured Japan with Kokeshi, before embarking on their first tour of Australia between 23 May and 26 May 2024, supported by RUN. In November and December 2024, the band (along with Doodeskader) will open for Alcest on the European leg of their Les Chants de l'Aurore tour.

Critical reception
The Weight of the Mask received acclaim from critics. Emma Wilkes of Kerrang! called the album Svalbard's "masterpiece" and awarded the album a perfect 5/5 score, praising its emotional weight and directness. Ox-Fanzine Roman Eisner also praised its "clearly formulated" lyrics and well-illustrated potrayal of depression, as well as its variety. Blabbermouth.net Dom Lawson said that the album "rocks with a vigor and vitality that could never be anything but uplifting" and considered it to be Svalbard's best album "by far".

Lothar Gerber of Metal Hammer Germany noted the album's "numerous guitar melodies and emotional harmonies" while singling out Matt Francis for his performance on bass. Danni Leivers of Metal Hammer UK said that its balance of heaviness and vulnerability was "testament to just how much the band have grown as songwriters" from When I Die, Will I Get Better?; "The album hangs together cohesively and purposefully, an exercise of extremes that never offers answers, but that stands as a stunning monument to the human experience." Thomas Mahnke of Metal.de felt that its "well thought out" songwriting should "open [Svalbard] up to a new audience without alienating older listeners." Steve Loftin of Dork found that the band's overt confidence and diversity "[gave] armament to [its] hefty subject matter", and claimed that it boosted their status as "one of Britain’s great new heavy bands [...] one-hundred fold".

The Weight of the Mask was ranked at number 12 on Kerrang! list of the "50 best albums of 2023", and at number 6 on Metal Hammer equivalent list. Metal.de named it the best post-rock/metal album of 2023. The album won the award for "Best Metalgaze Album" at the 2023 Metal Storm Awards, while its cover has been nominated in the "Best Album Artwork" category at the Heavy Music Awards 2024.

Track listing
All lyrics are written by Serena Cherry; all music is composed by Svalbard. Notes


 * String arrangements by Liam Phelan, Lewis Johns and Olive.

Personnel
Personnel per liner notes and Nuclear Blast. Svalbard Production
 * Serena Cherry – lead guitar, co-lead vocals
 * Liam Phelan – rhythm guitar, violin, co-lead vocals
 * Matt Francis – bass
 * Mark Lilley – drums
 * Lewis Johns – production, mixing, engineering
 * Grant Berry – mastering
 * Matt Janke – assistant engineer
 * Kel Pinchin – editing
 * Sebastien Sendon – editing

Artwork
 * Hestor Aspland – artwork
 * Lee O'Connor – layout