The Blue Collar Army - Norrland (Ladysnow Society)

Hailing from Sweden, The Blue Collar Army are a band who operates as a “call to rise up against those who keep us down.” With names like The Old Man and The Party Bear, as well as allegorical masks which obscure their true identities, there is an obvious political intent behind their music on their new album Norrland. It is somewhat unclear who exactly they are railing against—presumably those currently in power—but the general train of thought seems to be an advocacy for anarchy until freedom reigns again. Ostensibly libertarian in nature, their ambient style of doom metal paints a picture ultimately more dystopian than anything which one could consider politically rousing.

Their message is at least more obvious given song titles such as “We will burn your cities to the ground” and “This is the link between the past and the future,” even if the screaming courtesy of The Party Bear renders any lyrics virtually unintelligible. But perhaps that is the point, and this sense of elevated anarchy is to be understood by the mood of the music itself. The general message of changing the established order is communicated well enough by the image and style, but the heaviness and ambiance of the music suggests a dubious belief in anything actually getting any better. Norrland is thus a bleak listen to be sure, but it’s sure to find an audience in a European society in the midst of political turmoil.