Photo by Andreas Karperyd

I have been looking forward to this LP since I, a) Reviewed the single ‘Spinning Faster‘ back in December, and b) Almost wore out the previous LP, ‘Then Comes Silence II‘.

That wait was auspiciously over on this portentous Friday 13th March, with the official release of ‘Nyctophilian’, or ‘Then Comes Silence III’, a truly worthy successor – the king is dead, long live the king…

Hailing from Stockholm, Then Comes Silence are Alex Svenson, vocals & bass, Seth Kapadia, guitar, Jens Karnstedt, guitar and Karl Nilsson, drums.

‘Nyctophilian’ means a preference for the night or darkness, and is synonymous with the twilight ambience that underpins the band’s “Psyche/Goth/Gaze” self definition.

“Dysphoria (from Greek: δύσφορος (dysphoros), δυσ-, difficult, and φέρειν, to bear) is a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction.” Wiki. I’m not sure if that makes me unhinged or enlightened, because this album had the polar opposite effect on me!

When Formes initially posted an image of their debut LP cover, I jokingly commented that the face on the sleeve reminded me of Rogue Trooper. That was before I’d had the unmitigated pleasure of hearing ‘Dysphoria Part 1’, or the benefit of reading the accompanying press release, which alludes to the demonic battle raging within the mind. On closer inspection, and armed with these insights, the transformation overseen by Janus, possibly toward humanity’s inevitable oblivion, becomes clearer.

‘Spinning Faster’ is the debut single from the up-coming Then Comes Silence III ‘Nyctophilian’ LP, due to be released on Friday 13th March 2015 on the Swedish Novoton Indie Label.

Then Comes Silence are a Psyche/Goth 4 piece from Stockholm originally formed in 2012.

I had noticed a few months back that The Janitors were playing a double-bill with Then Comes Silence, this was all the encouragement I needed to exhume and possess their exquisite b(l)ack catalogue.

‘Spinning Faster’ is a pounding, tribal drums and nerve jangling, kaleidoscopic, swirling guitar Nótt fest.