(RockAndMetal.com) (07/26/04)

By Michael Bennett

UMEA, SWEDEN - CULT OF LUNA have confirmed that the band's brand new album (their third), entitled "Salvation," is due to be released on Monday, October 4th.

Like "The Beyond," "Salvation" was recorded again at Tonteknik Studios in Sweden, produced by Magnus Lindberg.

The album is described by Cult Of Luna guitarist Johannes Persson as "a natural progression for the band, but we hope it will appeal to a much broader audience than the previous two releases, as the tracks are much more melody-based."

"Having Anders in the band has allowed us to use fewer samples this time, and our musical skills have improved immensely, so we can push our music forward!"

Persson continued: "Salvation is definitely a heavy album, but we have learned that you don't need 100 guitars to be heavy."

"We've been much more diverse in our use of sounds. They have more depth this time. Fewer walls of sound and more soundscapes!"

In keeping with the Cult Of Luna tradition, "Salvation" will not be a short affair, as Persson explains: "One problem we have is that we have one song too many!"

"You can only fit 74 minutes on a CD, so we're having to cut one song off!"

If you caught Cult Of Luna on any of their UK and European tours last year, then you will have already heard one of the tracks to be included on "Salvation." Their set ender, the 13-minute epic 'Waiting For You.'

Clarity of purpose is often found by existing in a detached, solitary state, cleansing the mind of all peripheral impurities whilst concentrating on striving for a definitive, ultimate solution.

Down the years the great thinkers, artists, religious and political figures have nearly all been able to extricate themselves from the crowd and in so doing, have broken the mould with fresh ideas and concepts, and new ways of approaching established traditions.

Isolation brings its own rewards in the end.

Such is the way with Cult Of Luna, based in Umea in the cold far north of Sweden, far removed from the more fashionable centres of Stockholm and Gothenburg.

The culture of Umea has always thrived around the youth of the city, principally the university but also the arts and political scene.

Naturally merging thought and art, the music scene has built a reputation for confronting, questioning and searching new ways to express the feelings of a population that is cut off from much of what outsiders traditionally imagine when they think of Sweden.

Life in Umea is tinged with darkness and hostility, and the music emerging from the town reflects this - Meshuggah, Refused, Naglfar - all are distinct and diverse, but all have one thing common - a grim individuality.

Cult Of Luna reflect this distinct personality trait - they don't sound like anybody else, they don't claim influence from anybody else, and yet they know where they are headed.

Clarity of purpose indeed.

Cult Of Luna emerged from the ashes of the infamous hardcore act Eclipse.

When the band split, vocalist Klas Rydberg along with guitarist Johannes Persson knew that their form of expression needed a higher level of commitment and development.

They had their vision, and so Cult Of Luna was born with a distinct emphasis on the sound; raw, emotive, and with total darkness.

A two-track demo recorded in January began the process, the band searching for the epic, cavernous sound that drove them.

Cult Of Luna wanted to be all emotions at once, offering hope and redemption but making the listener work through all the lows and disappointments that needed to be navigated to reach utopia.

If the band's mission statement was to be defined, its was to inflict a harrowing journey on the listener keeping constant the chance of salvation.

After refining still further, the band expanded still further to include samples, opening up a more expansive and expressive path.

Completing the line up at this time was Klas on vocals, Johannes & Erik on guitar, Magnus on samples, Marco on drums and Andreas on bass, who replaced original member Axel.

It's testament to each of the individual members belief in the direction of Cult Of Luna that the band has a singular vision they have retained to this day.

Despite sporadic live performances and rehearsals, a split single with Switchblade was issued via Trust No One, and shortly afterward the band signed to UK based Rage Of Achilles Records, issuing a self-titled debut album in September of 2001.

Immediately news of the band's apocalyptic, mammoth sound worked its way into cult circles and the band received rave reviews.

Discerning listeners instantly appreciated the bands unique approach, trading light and dark to create a cataclysmic noise that hit the heart and the head in equal measures.

Respected noisecore label Hydra Head Records subsequently released a two-track 7" in March of 2002, followed by the band becoming part of the Earache family of labels in June of 2002.

Releasing their second album, "The Beyond," in early 2003, Cult Of Luna proved categorically that their time as an underground band was at an end and they were now ready to bring their atmospheric, apocalyptic soundscapes to a much wider audience.

Since the release of "The Beyond," Cult Of Luna have toured Sweden with The Haunted and played the Hultsfed Festival (the biggest music festival in Sweden).

Since then the line-up has changed, seeing drummer Marco Hilden replaced by Thomas Hedlund, and an additional keyboard player - Anders Teglund - has joined them as a permanent fixture after stepping into Magnus' shoes for some of their Swedish shows.

The band's first UK tour in March 2003 was with Isis, receiving rave reviews from the press.

Late Summer saw them venturing into Europe with U.S. Hardcore sensations Poison The Well, again to very positive press reaction.

Christmas 2003 saw Cult Of Luna return to the UK for a tour with Beecher, which saw the band return to the UK to tour with The Dillinger Escape Plan.

The early part of 2004 took Cult Of Luna on the road both to Sweden and Finland for some long-awaited shows, prior to the recording of "Salvation" afterwards.

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