Lovac — Apes of a Cold God

Apes of a Cold God is the debut album by Swedish band Lovac.  Although the band has been around for a bit (performing under the name Down in June as a Death in June cover band) this is their first presentation as Lovac.  As far as debuts go, this is quite good.  The only puzzlement one may have is trying to figure out where you’ve heard it before.  Lovac is able to construct melodies that sound so familiar yet are new.  Yes there is a Death in June influence (and moments that sound akin to Sagittarius and Seelenlicht too) but given their neofolk/industrial label one can hardly fault them.

To cut to the chase there are some achingly beautiful songs here.  Much care was taken in their construction and the music is played flawlessly.  Nineteen songs are listed here, although three of them are short instrumentals.  On the subject of the instrumentals they are good, but it could be debatable as to what they add to the affair, then again they don’t take away anything either.

Lyrically though things get a bit heavy.  At least to say it’s not a case of lyrics being second to the music.  Here lyrics are crafted with as much thought as the music that was created.  The main themes are of war, both of inner conflict and societal and political impact, and the state of humankind (and the lack thereof).  A bit profound, definitely.  Yet on songs like “Apes of a Cold God”, with its rolling percussion, male and female voices intertwined softly, and acoustic guitars, Lovac is able to bring gentleness to the situation.  While on “City & Solitude” the vocals are hypnotic and mystical, gently uniting with the pensive tone of the music.

There’s a lot to listen to here, yet through it all it does sound vaguely familiar.  Lovac has a fantastic ability to temper even the most melancholic and dour mood with a touch of etherealness and whimsy.  Whether lyrically it’s your cup of tea is reserved to the opinion of the listener.  As a complete work it is definitely something that is either loved or loathed.