Signeri – Signeri
Release Date: 13th June 2025
Label: ViciSolum Productions
Bandcamp
Genre: Dark Metal, Black Metal, Gothic Metal, Doom Metal.
FFO: Tribulation, Cloak, Nite, Satyricon.
Review By: Rick Farley
Sinister and atmospherically foreboding, Sweden’s dark metal masters Signeri emerge from the shadowy forests of Dalarna to obliterate your soul with enchanted brutality. They invite you to traverse their mystical path where light and shadow are forced to intertwine. A journey of blackened, occult tinged, haunting metal that’s somehow crushing, eerily memorable and otherworldly.
Set for release on June 13th, 2025, via ViciSolum Productions, Signeri’s debut self-titled album is full of darkness that somehow manages to retain a feeling of jubilance. Despite its course rawness and harsh, blackened songs, there’s an underlying gothic poppiness that creeps in just enough here and there with particular key changes, atmospheric elements, or certain hooks that give this an extra edge of coolness. Much in the same way Tribulation has utilized distinct types of melodies in the past to go with their crude savagery. Even though the album is harsh, sinister, and brutal at times, it’s still an easy listen with good songwriting chops.
Signeri comprised of Michal Brander (vocals, bass), Ulf Olars (guitar), Lars Bergfält (guitars) and Jonas Arnberg (drum, brass and organs) have put together eight tracks of uniqueness that pulls influences from several bands and genres in different ways but doesn’t fully imitate any of them (although the opening track, Darkness Embrace, does sound an awful lot like Tribulation. Not really complaining, just noting). The album does an excellent job of intertwining genres with interesting musical ideas; however, it does occasionally come off as slightly disjointed as a whole. I wouldn’t call it an identity problem, but it does reach out a little too far at times for my tastes. Each track has an obvious similar tone and feel, but a few tracks are less successful with eccentric musical choices that throw me off just a tad. Could just be a me thing. This however does not detract from the album’s confidence and listenability. You will find yourself throwing this on in the background and just kind of doing whatever it is that you’re doing and have quite the solid listen. In that regard, it works perfectly, from front to back.
Individually, though, the strongest tracks shine bright with quirky ugliness and menace. Legion Strong is a darkly, gothic, sometimes punky, heavy metal song with loads of swagger. If that even makes sense. It has the traditional heavy metal head banging verse riffs with spastic, upbeat choruses that make you want to cut loose, while kicking and punching the air freely. Throw in a few progressive flavoured chords changes and we have a unique winner. Häxa has a folky feel that’s enhanced with doomy chord changes and a shanty style melody. It’s crushing, airy and floats about with heaviness and mystical summoning type of vibes. Just before the three-minute mark, we get brass instruments adding all kinds of cool factor. Shedding Skin is a blast of heaviness with bits of cold black metal melodies, beguiling choruses that are almost sing-along, (if you have a course growly voice that is) and a hopeful feeling of satisfaction.
Personally, for me, if the band could have reined in all the eccentricities more cohesively, this would be scored much higher. All the signs are there for Signeri to drop a masterpiece on us in the future. I’m fairly confident of that, but for now their debut is a fun, likable, good time type of album that I will absolutely return to many times.
(3.5 / 5)
