What’s in a name? Shakespeare wrote that, and while he was talking about a couple of lovestruck teenagers, the question could also be applied to band names. Take Svalbard for example.
With a name like Svalbard, one’s first thought would be to assume that they’re some Scandinavian black metal types, all grim and menacing and hanging out in the forest with swords and stuff. Nope, they’re from Bristol. Still heavy as hell though, with a sound that falls somewhere between hardcore, metal and shoegaze. They are named after a Norwegian archipelago though, so I wasn’t too far off with my initial black metal assumptions.
The band released their latest, When I Die, Will I Get Better?, back in September and were just announced as part of next year’s Roskilde Festival lineup. Will things be close enough to normal by that point so that the festival can take place as planned? Who knows? But in the meantime, you can check out the video for Svalbard’s “Listen To Someone” below.