Bergen - one of the most beautiful cities of Norway - continues offering us one band after the other. Are all citizens there metalheads? SWORN, after the Night Supremacy demo back in 2005, get in contact with Twilight and the result is The Alleviation.
The sound's path is crossing black metal realms and SWORN are trying to give a depressive tune by very melodic parts. The band is giving all their best efforts but I cannot say I'm satisfied. The complete lack of difference makes me get tired, I have heard thousands bands like them. Alleviation has nothing special inside, except one riff. Heart Of Decay, that was in their demo, is so melodic that turns into bullshit. The introduction song entitled Derived with the violin performance differs and has a paint of inspiration but the coming Crow Of Passage didn't give me anything.
Probably the best track is The Beauty Of My Funeral (also in their demo) with a good mournful ending. On the other hand, the most interesting riff in Vivid Visions is from SATYRICON.
The artwork of this CD is good and the same goes to the production, but SWORN must put more inspiration inside. There are so many releases, the cancer of downloading and I am questioning myself who the fuck is buying these CDs? If you are a Norway collector maniac search for it, but I assure you that if you don't buy it, you wont lose something special.