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Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
Dawnrazor zine vol. II/III | Einar SjursöSadly, the final Swans chapter, but what a swansong!Sadly, the final Swans chapter, but what a swansong! This gargantuan 140 minutes journey combines all the best elements of the back-catalog, and stretches them even further. Found recordings, tape loops, ambient drones, samples, and even "regular" songs, although nothing is regular on "Soundtracks for the Blind." A manifest of musical genius, a disturbing rollercoaster-ride through landscapes you didn't know exist. If only all bands could throw in the towel at an equal stage. Not that... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
CMJ Jackpot | Megan Framptontheir last studio release as SwansThroughout their 15-year history, Swans have continually dabbled in excess, and this double-CD (their last studio release as Swans, they claim), is no exception. Although this release is titled as a soundtrack, and there are plenty of wandering, loosely constructed tracks, the songs themselves are filled with abrasive, grinding percussion that would be too intrusive to be used as a background in a film. This aesthetic—long, drawn-out, slower-than-slow songs that are harsh and ominous—has epitomized Swans songs since lead Swan Michael... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
The Wire | Biba KopfSwans always wrote every song like it was going to be their lastThe Swans always wrote every song like it was going to be their last. Even so, the announcement that this is finally it, after some 15 years of honing word, gristle, rhythm and half-melody into some of the finest, most enduring, if (unsurprisingly) somewhat unfairly overlooked works in the whole rock cannon, comes as a shock. That they've decided to submit to cold economic reality and call it a day rather than face another... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
The Wire | Biba KopfSwans always wrote every song like it was going to be their lastThe Swans always wrote every song like it was going to be their last. Even so, the announcement that this is finally it, after some 15 years of honing word, gristle, rhythm and half-melody into some of the finest, most enduring, if (unsurprisingly) somewhat unfairly overlooked works in the whole rock cannon, comes as a shock. That they've decided to submit to cold economic reality and call it a day rather than face another... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
The Wire | Biba KopfSwans always wrote every song like it was going to be their lastThe Swans always wrote every song like it was going to be their last. Even so, the announcement that this is finally it, after some 15 years of honing word, gristle, rhythm and half-melody into some of the finest, most enduring, if (unsurprisingly) somewhat unfairly overlooked works in the whole rock cannon, comes as a shock. That they've decided to submit to cold economic reality and call it a day rather than face another... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
Detroit Metro Times | Thom Jurek* * * * * starsWith the issue of Soundtracks For The Blind, their 15th album in as many years (along 12"s and side projects), Swans are calling it quits. There's one final tour planned and then the band enters the palace of rock and roll memory. For me, this is difficult, because on a pop scene filled with transience and trend, Swans have always been present if not always visible, ever looking forward. They are, in both ambition and excess, a true voice of... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
Detroit Metro Times | Thom Jurek* * * * * starsWith the issue of Soundtracks For The Blind, their 15th album in as many years (along 12"s and side projects), Swans are calling it quits. There's one final tour planned and then the band enters the palace of rock and roll memory. For me, this is difficult, because on a pop scene filled with transience and trend, Swans have always been present if not always visible, ever looking forward. They are, in both ambition and excess, a true voice of... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
Detroit Metro Times | Thom Jurek* * * * * starsWith the issue of Soundtracks For The Blind, their 15th album in as many years (along 12"s and side projects), Swans are calling it quits. There's one final tour planned and then the band enters the palace of rock and roll memory. For me, this is difficult, because on a pop scene filled with transience and trend, Swans have always been present if not always visible, ever looking forward. They are, in both ambition and excess, a true voice of... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
Melody Maker | Jonathan Selzerlike fragments from a world whose foundations are in the last stages of erosionSo this is it, the last album proper by my favourite, most fatalistic band, a band who could give rise to the most transcendent of feelings only because they'd detail their own limits with such meticulous care, a band who sensed such overwhelming destiny they were stricken by it. The first time I played a Swans record, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Listening to them now, ravaged, wretched, as terminal a... Read more...
Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review
Melody Maker | Jonathan Selzerlike fragments from a world whose foundations are in the last stages of erosionSo this is it, the last album proper by my favourite, most fatalistic band, a band who could give rise to the most transcendent of feelings only because they'd detail their own limits with such meticulous care, a band who sensed such overwhelming destiny they were stricken by it. The first time I played a Swans record, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Listening to them now, ravaged, wretched, as terminal a... Read more...

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