Gotland – Rise

Daunting is it enough to put together any record for any band no matter how experienced or fresh they may be in the process. A group really has to have everything together quite well to a tremendous degree in order to put together an experience that isn’t just cohesive but something exceptional to behold. It’s difficult enough to do that on a regular release schedule with the difficulty only increasing with more time. Nine years is a tremendous length of time to overcome such a challenge with few able to overcome such a monumental obstacle. With their sophomore full-length, Gotland does more than defy those very odds as they’ve crafted one hell of a ride whose grandeur cannot be downplayed.

Just looking at the tracklist for “Rise” blows the mind immediately. Seventeen tracks! That makes for either an incredibly bloated effort or one that is unapologetically epic in scope with Gotland bringing the latter into reality through tremendous effort, a clear vision, tenacity that stood the test of almost an entire decade, and the ingenuity to bring so many different moving parts into play to make for a cohesive experience to the point that it feels almost cinematic in many different moments. We’ve seen an ancient Roman concept done through a small but very talented group of acts from Ex Deo and Ade just to name two with Gotland effortlessly proving themselves to be held to that very high standard with every given inch of “Rise” the sort of captivating listen that demands your full attention yet is never once a letdown when it comes to brutality and undeniable prowess with each track driven by an overwhelming symphonic backdrop that further enhances the already-magnificent black metal that Gotland uses to their advantage at every given turn. It would have been effortless to have any given facet of “Rise” fall apart should Gotland has made even a single step in the wrong direction. Yet, it’s through a decade-long process of clear due diligence and the drive to keep going until everything fell right into place for an album the likes of which I haven’t heard in far too long and likely won’t experience again for what will likely be years, “Rise” lives up to its name and delivers greatness certifiable.

People are right to think of names like Fleshgod Apocalypse or Carach Angren when they fathom what symphonic black metal is like when taken to great lengths, and it is here with just their second album that Gotland puts forth a tremendous reason why their very name should be on the lips of such fans from here on out. Whether it is to be another decade before we see another full-length creation from Gotland or if this is to be their final opus, one simple but great truth reigns above all: “Rise” is an absolute monolith of a performance whose supreme presence is not to be taken lightly lest the legionnaires march over you like water on rock.

“Rise” releases on September 15th!

PRE-ORDER “Rise” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Gotland on Facebook here.