As he continues with his release Raus In Die Freiheit back in 2021, Swedish-based artist Bjørn Barock drops his new record Sturm Aufs Paradies on the 19th of October 2023. With a “…mixture of stories of situations people face in life” as described by Barock, Sturm Aufs Paradies is an interesting sonic journey with diverse approaches that’ll keep you hooked and entertained. Let me tell you more about it.
Bjørn Barock kickstarted Sturm Aufs Paradies with the title track, a synth-driven piece with dark melodies, extremely powerful progressing sound, and strong industrial and maybe Asian influences. It’s a perfect opener that shows Bjørn Barock‘s tight, diverse writing. Memento Mori hits next with an old-school doomy sound and melancholic melodies, in an atmospheric fluid riffing stream that progresses into a bigger sound as the song moves forward. It has a deeply emotional sound with a powerful groove and a gothic layer that handles the dramatic part which made the structure even more interesting. Stell Mir Keine Fragen steers towards a punk-ish fast sound and attitude. Bjørn Barock‘s atmospheric electronic elements are strongly present, subtly setting a warm texture that goes in total harmony with the song’s harsh intense guitars, creating a unique heavy mix that I really loved. Überwinde Jede Mauer builds up with blasting drums and big theatrical keyboards, before hitting super hard and heavy with storming riffs that’ll throw the listeners off their seats headbanging. The vocal delivery is pretty intense and attacking, feeding the riffs’ aggressiveness and fueling the song’s powerfully dynamic flow. Taking a little break as we reach the middle of the record, Meine Kleine Grosse Welt explores a mellow chill direction. Its acoustic, percussive sound had a deep warm feel as its smooth structure flows seamlessly with dynamic twists and turns, with a great production that kept its core touching sound uncompromised. Alles Nicht So Leicht gradually boosts the record’s dynamic flow with its upbeat escalating flow. Its diverse vocal delivery spiced things up adding an extra catchy layer to its unpredictable structure. This brings the listeners’ attention to Bjørn Barock‘s unique writing style and how cleverly he balances heaviness within his atmospheric setup. Keeping the heaviness going, RockBA comes next with raw sound and hard-hitting flow. Bjørn Barock‘s fast riffs and unstoppable pace cement his punk influences that we’ve witnessed some earlier on Sturm Aufs Paradies, while the song’s shifts are cleverly written, smoothly guiding the listener throughout its structure without losing momentum. FDMG ends the record on a highly energetic note with its upbeat flow, solid progression, and killer guitar licks. It feels like Bjørn Barock is pushing his sound boundaries, as he’s keeping his energy at its max till the very end.
Sturm Aufs Paradies is a solid record by Bjørn Barock, he unleashed his creative, unique approach as he freely mixed and matched genres and elements creating his own vision while showing no interest in labeling or genres. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from Bjørn Barock, keep on rocking. Cheers!
