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We released our album A Journey told through Fire on the 21st of June, 2023, and are currently looking for a label to work with for our upcoming releases. About 80% of the material for next album is already written. We strongly believe that this new material is just as strong as what you can find on A Journey told through Fire. Plan is to enter studio late 2024 and release our fifth album spring 2025.
Note that we also own all rights to our previous albums, and that re-releasing these is a possibility. (Exception is vinyl version of A Journey told through Fire, which Greek label The Circle Music has a license to release for a period of two years.)
Highlights
- The album was for a long time ranked as #1 album of 2023 over at Metalstorm.net, and it is still in the top 5. The album also ranked #2 best Melodic Black Metal album of 2023 at Metalstorm Awards.
- Youtube's biggest black metal channel, Black Metal Promotion, uploaded our album as a live premiere, and it has been THE MOST popular album upload on their channel in 2023, currently sitting at over 300k views after six months and reaching a higher view count than great releases from strong bands like Blackbraid, Tsjuder, Thulcandra, Afsky, Nattverd, and more.
- Monthly listeners on Spotify has had a huge spike after the release of this album. Before the release we were sitting at 500-800 monthly listeners. This increased to 5000/6000 shortly after release, and when this usually drops after the initial release hype, our listener count has only increased, currently stable at 10k-12k. This without being lucky and getting in on Spotify Editorial Playlists.
- At Bandcamp the album was on the bestseller list of Norwegian releases
- We released the album digitally, but after huge demand for physical release, 300 CDs were first pressed which sold out almost instantly. Thereafter a vinyl release through The Circle records of 500 copies which also almost sold out during the preorder phase.
Reviews
9/10 - Hellfire-Magazin
"Here many influences from the genre have been combined into a creative and highly recommended masterpiece... an album with seven favorite tracks for me and a considerable addiction factor"
- Susanne Kneisel
90/100 - ZwareMetalen.com
"Sworn is simply a rock solid melodic black metal band from Norway, A Journey Told Through Fire should not be missing in any (melodic) black metal collection!"
- Joris Meeuwissen
9/10 - Broken Tomb Magazine
"Everything on this album is measured to the millimeter and at no time does the compositional level drop, which is why Sworn have created a work that keeps our attention for almost an hour. Do you remember the “Armada” from Keep of Kalessin? In my opinion it maintains a very similar essence..."
- Ramon
8.5/10 - Metalstorm.net
"Here's some of the highest standard and most exhilarating meloblack you'll hear this year... With some great musicianship and excellent songwriting, Sworn have really pulled it out of the bag, and will hopefully set a benchmark for a new wave of melodic black metal for the future to come"
- AndyMetalFreak
8.5/10 - Powermetal.de
"The only criticism I finally realize is that SWORN on "A Journey Told Through Fire" doesn't really reinvent the black metal wheel. But if we’re being honest, hardly any band does and as long as the typical genre trademarks are slapped around my ears as convincingly, catchy and without an apparent offer at a certain idol as on this disc, it would be a crime to hang on to such a little thing. Accordingly, there is also a whopping 8.5 points and a thick entry on my target list."
- Tobias Dahs
8.5/10 - Metalwar.gr
"..one of the best albums of the genre so far this year"
95/100 - Musika.be
The foursome knows how to convince us track after track – especially the extremely clever, inventive and melodic guitar work makes us melt – and we can therefore wholeheartedly recommend this 'A Journey Told Through' Fire' to every self-respecting lover of melodic music. black metal.
8.5/10 - Pasifagresif.com
"There are nearly 300 albums shared since the first day of 2023 on the Black Metal Promotion channel, which is the largest black metal channel on YouTube and has 355,000 followers as of now, and only 6-7 of them have been listened to over 50,000. Among these, the album that is at the top is SWORN, which reached 90,000 streams, outperforming groups such as TSJUDER, AFSKY, KAMPFAR, THULCANDRA. Moreover, they have achieved this in just 40 days, not since the beginning of the year. Well, that must be telling something."
Metallurgi.com
"Sworn has produced an outstanding piece of epic, melodic black metal on 'A Journey Told through Fire', a record that stands as another impressive monument to the rich traditions of the Westland black metal scene."
Wonderbox Metal
"To say the music is well-written is an understatement. Within the first couple of minutes it is amply apparent that Sworn have a talent for the style, and upon journeying through the entire album this is frequently reinforced. A Journey Told Through Fire is best experienced over time via multiple visits though, as each spin reveals a new facet of the band’s sound... A Journey Told Through Fire is a hideously accomplished work. It’s a creatively rich seam of black metal that Sworn are mining, and they have clearly struck pay dirt. Make sure that you don’t miss out on one of the strongest black metal albums to see the light of day in 2023 so far."
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Band info and history
Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Sworn embodies the soul of melodic black metal, channeling an emotive aura intertwined with fierce energy. Their music resonates with fans of atmosphere, emotion and aggression, drawing in both the seasoned devotee and the curious seeker.
Formed as a one-man project back in 2005, Sworn's journey took flight. Drawing inspiration from '90s black metal luminaries and extreme metal in general, they painted their sound with melancholic melodies and a touch of raw power. By 2007, Sworn expanded into a full-fledged band, and their debut album "The Alleviation" emerged, capturing their early aspirations.
Things truly ignited after this release, paving the way for Sworn to share stages with the likes of Behemoth, Aborted, and Helrunar during their 2007 Germany tour. The festival circuit embraced them too, from the vastness of Summer Breeze to captivating gatherings such as Ragnarök and Ultima Ratio.
In 2009, Sworn continued to blaze their path with the release of "Bastards and Conquerors," an album that showcased their evolving musical identity. The release of this album came shortly after the band's successful festival activities, solidifying their presence in the metal scene.
A brief hiatus from 2011 to 2016 didn't dim their spirit. An unexpected twist led to the release of the EP "Doomlights," offering a glimpse into the creative fire within. 2016 marked Sworn's triumphant resurgence, as they channeled their determination into their third album "Dark Stars and Eternity," released in 2018. A headlining show in Trondheim solidified their stage prowess, even though subsequent concert plans met the pandemic's unfortunate interruption.
The pandemic-induced pause, though, didn't stifle their creative drive. From the depths of uncertainty emerged "A Journey told through Fire" in 2023, showcasing a darker and more intense facet of Sworn's musical tapestry. Marking a remarkable zenith in their artistic journey, the album garnered resounding acclaim for its unfiltered emotion, coupled with an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship, inviting listeners on a captivating journey through a collection of tracks that blaze with intensity from start to finish.
Renowned for their live performances, Sworn has a reputation for being a tight-knit and captivating act. Their music speaks not only to the ardent devotees of black metal but also to those willing to immerse themselves in an emotive voyage painted with powerful melodies.
For those captivated by the emotional subtleties of black metal, and for those with a curiosity to venture into unexplored territories, Sworn embodies the core of melodic black metal, a sonic journey into a realm where atmosphere and intensity converge.
Pics
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Sworn Logo 2023
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Sworn
Dark Stars and Eternity 2018
Bastards and Conquerors 2009
The Alleviation 2007
Live performances
Contact
Christoffer Kjørsvik
Ladebekken 13
7066 Trondheim
NORWAY
Phone: +47 452 43 374
Email: swornnorway@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/swornnorway
Instagram: instagram.com/swornnorway
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