Fire is a force of destruction, one that can wipe out homes and valuables, a weapon that can obliterate enemies in war. Yet fire can also signify a new beginning. The phoenix reborn from the ashes, wildfires rejuvenating forests. Four years after the release of Call Down the Sun, Konvent released its spiritual successor, a rebirth of sorts that sees the band emerging from the flames with their third album, Firesky.1 This Danish four-piece impressed Carcharodon enough that he wrote up a TYMHM and put Call Down the Sun in his top ten-ish of 2022. The passage of time since then sees Konvent mostly intact, with the only change being a swapping of guitarists: Amira Hernan taking on the lead guitar role in place of Sara Helena Nørregaard. Time and personnel shifts have done little to diminish the passionate flame burning within the band, as Firesky demonstrates a group firing on all cylinders.
Firesky represents an evolution for Konvent, more a step forward than a complete shift in sound. The brooding guitars and heavy distortion remain, as does the guttural nature of Rikke Emilie List’s vocals, yet there’s a greater dynamism at play. This is largely due to a shift in songwriting approach, with track lengths stretched longer than anything written before, ranging anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes (excluding the instrumental outro track). Konvent fill these minutes masterfully, making use of gentle acoustics (“Scorning”) and arpeggios (“Exorcise”) and tempo shifts where drums whisper sweet nothings in your ear while a buildup of suspense culminates in an explosion of reverberating riffs and drums pummeling your ears at a breathless pace. The music is patient, but bubbling beneath it is a searing rage that releases in a controlled burn of melancholy-tinged anger.
Like flames dancing in a campfire, Firesky mesmerizes in its warmth, in its surges of flame as fuel is fed to it, and in its dying breaths as the logs crumble to ashes. Carcharodon’s description of Call Down the Sun as approaching funeral doom feels even more apt here. The gentler arpeggios and acoustics evoke passages from Lone Wanderer, but these moments often erupt suddenly into aggressive bursts, calling to mind LLNN at their most intense. Konvent experiment with more blackened elements as well, with tremolos adding a furious tempo to the conclusion of “Exorcise” and blackened rasps adding scorn to List’s threat that “You will burn” on “In the Unknown.” Yet something hopeful manages to emerge, with tracks like “Firesky” utilizing a triumphant guitar tone, similar to what Oromet did on The Sinking Isle, and also adding some surprise cleans that leave you reeling in complex feelings of exuberance and gloom.2
Stellar performances and strong production values enhance the evocative songwriting. New guitarist Hernan fits right in, with punishing distortion that harks back to prior releases and captivating riffs that sustain the lengthier song passages. These riffs have heft and meat on their bones, and yet Hernan easily swaps from their violence to a lovely, delicate touch on the gentler segments. Julie Simonsen, behind the kit, enhances these tonal shifts, switching between cymbal taps to breakneck drum kicks. The methodical beating of the bass drum on “In the Unknown” adds an ominous note that signals a dark shift in the mood. Heidi Brink’s bass contributes depth and weight, often in surprising ways, including an understated melody on “Scorning” that gives the sense of a boundless current running through the music. Her bass, in combination with a terrific arpeggiated guitar rhythm and List’s formidable growls, leads to an emotionally charged moment that elevates the terrific “Scorning” as the highlight of Firesky—and potential song of the year.
Firesky is a slow burn, albeit with rewarding payoffs that make it a mesmerizing work of art. It builds upon Konvent’s already established strengths while pushing their music into new dynamic directions. One could quibble about the length, as some passages grow a touch repetitive, but the captivating music flies right by, leaving you wanting more. The mix also pushes List’s growls a bit too far back at times, but she remains a powerful presence even so. Even the instrumental outro, that oft-complained-about trope, feels like the perfect closure—the mix of strings, acoustics, and the burning of a fire contributes to the complexity of emotions the album evokes, a sense of justice prevailing but at a dark cost. Firesky is a truly remarkable record.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: November 6th, 2026
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