Do you need some recess? A few minutes to relax completely apart from Death/Black/Thrash speeds and no zest for dull Pop coming out of the radio?
Then CARVED IN STONE come around the corner just right in time – solo artist Swawa recorded a handful of emotional Folk influenced songs on her album Tales Of Glory & Tragedy dominated by acoustic guitar sounds. Apart from this instrument, she also uses harp and flutes and in addition she plays the keyboard. One characteristic mark defines the ten tracks, namely an expressive voice. Some well dosed passages are performed by a choir. Additionally, the use of three different languages is surprising and cares for alternation. Swawa lectures her mystical tales in German, English and Norwegian, whereby the composition presented in last mentioned language called Sørg Aldri is one of many highlights besides the swinging Söldnerlied. The prevailing mood remains reflectively, sometimes the listener gets scared or surprised by hefty lyrics like in Die Ballade Von Einem Blinden Grubenpferd, so that there is no danger to be lulled despite the contained interpretation.
Tales Of Glory & Tragedy (an excellently selected title by the way) suits for leaning back – or one gets on board of a dragon ship in thought and the dark melancholic sounds lead the listener through the fjords. Swawa creates a dense atmosphere with her narrations and I really like to be abducted amidst this stressful and loud everyday life gladly often!