Album Review: Black Cloud Man – The Meadows of Silence
Band: Black Cloud Man
Title: The Meadows of Silence
Label: Independent
Release date: January 20th, 2026
Country: Sweden
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording
Album Review: Black Cloud Man – The Meadows of Silence by Sílvia
Sometimes I follow the “adventures” of the musicians I admire, more than their bands, and when I see them embarking on new projects, I’m excited and remain waiting for their new stuff to come. And I’m usually rewarded with awesome music for my ears’ delight.
So, this week I bring to the readers of this zine some material fresh out of the oven: the EP released by Black Cloud Man, a one-man Swedish blackened death metal band founded by Knut Hassel (also in Gudars Skymning, a Swedish rock band; ex-Karmanjaka, ex-Destiny). He’s the songwriter, lyricist, guitar and bass player of the band. But he’s not alone in this endeavor: he counts on Anton Palmborg (Haradrim, Karmanjaka, Svartkonst) and Kjell Bergendahl (Woodland) at the vocal duties. Palmborg is also responsible for drums and Bergendahl has done the recording, mixing and mastering.
With this impressive team, the music coming from Black Cloud Man can’t deceive. The three songs in this EP were previously released, and there’s a new track that is exclusive for the ones who purchase the EP on Bandcamp.
With all this being said, let me tell you about the music in “The Meadows of Silence”…
One of the most impressive aspects in this album is, for me, the guitar work. There’s something epic in the guitar harmonies, about the building of the melodies… I’m no music expert by any means, but that’s what it conveys to me. The way the guitars entwine and the medieval feel they sometimes evoke, what an incredible sound! And as for the solos, they are pure, clean, and characteristic of the seasoned musician that Knut is.
I also love the drums, the way they can be bursting into a furious attack all of a sudden, and also the restrained tempo they provide at the most ceremonious moments. Or marking a monotonous pace while guitars are playing, be it a fancy solo or the elaborated harmonies…
Sometimes a song can take a solemn turn, as in the second half of “Martis”, and towards the end the bass plays a rather prominent role. In contrast to the ominous and aggressive beginning… After all, it’s a song dedicated to Mars, the god of war! Bergendahl’s voice is extremely raspy, dragged. And when he sings in a clean way, his voice is dark and emotional. Always perfect.
“The Meadows of Silence” starts with a beautiful melody, medieval-style guitar harmonies… until the drums kick in at full speed accompanied by a guitar playing some tremolo… Then, the song becomes heavy and intense, drums doing an overwhelming performance. Towards the end, the song almost stops, the oppressive atmosphere broken by the majestic guitar solo that eventually becomes an obsessive picking… Palmborg delivers a fantastic vocal performance, spitting his rageful and aggressive chants . The last two minutes are as dark and menacing as storm clouds.
Lyrics talk about ancient gods and mythological beings… sometimes are like invocations, or like an ode, depicting a ceremony or a sacrifice that must be made in some god’s honor, to achieve redemption. These are always very good topics.
You can expect a great assault of guitars shining in these songs. And all the rest fit perfectly to provide a fantastic sound. 9/10
9/10 Epic Storm
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