#nullcrownedtheinfinite — Public Fediverse posts

At the end of his TYMHM for Sworn’s A Journey Told Through Fire, Carcharodon proclaimed it the best record in the band’s twenty-year career. He also worried, considering their history of long gaps between releases, that it might take another five-plus years to release the next one. Well, Sworn alleviates any such fears with the release of album number five, Null Crowned the Infinite, only three years later. Now that our finned writer has taken a non-conspicuous break, he can enjoy the luxury of complaining about how much of an over/underrating bastard I am. As Carcharodon pointed out, A Journey Told Through Fire was an enthralling piece of melodic atmoblack containing a skillful blend of aggression and slow tempos. Still unsigned, Sworn continue to write the music they love and are ready to regale fans with yet another collection of their brand of Norwegian black metal.

On Null Crowned the Infinite, Sworn put on a display of melodic black metal in the vein of Vorga, blending a Walg-like aggression with slower, more atmospheric touches. At first glance, it seems as if the atmospheric stuff will win out. “The Starless Origin,” Sworn’s longest-ever composition at over 12 minutes, begins with a few minutes of ominous synths, and even when the song proper begins, it’s not until halfway through that the aggression kicks in. Though arguably too long, the tune displays some impressive riffcrafting and concludes on an incredible emotional payoff. From there, the record hits a much more furious pace. “Null Crowned the Infinite” is a bona fide banger, giving vocalist Max Wilson the opportunity to flex a melodic tint to his rasps atop the fantastic drumming and riffs. While cuts like “A Cosmic Storm” and “The Entropic Void” demonstrate more variety in pacing, “Fracture of Aeons” goes all out in a frenzied mix of speedy blast beats and melodic trems in what Sworn proclaims is their most aggressive song to date.

The performances on display reveal musicians at the peak of their skill and creativity. Behind the kit, Tom Klungland delivers a dose of unfettered energy, yet he goes beyond the typical black metal blast beat. His mid-tempo work highlights the suspense that builds on tracks like “The Starless Origin” and “A Cosmic Storm,” and he proves particularly acrobatic in the early goings of “The Entropic Void.” Christoffer Kjørsvik and Goran Hope’s guitars also provide ample jaw-dropping moments. That melodic lead on “Null Crowned the Infinite” is sublime, but tremolos aren’t the only trick they pull. That same song also highlights their ability to drop some plaintive acoustics, while arpeggios on “A Cosmic Storm” amp up the raw emotion on display. They also whip out elaborate solos that add an element of power metal and provide bursts of energy. The ever-potent Wilson delivers blackened growls that lend an icy harshness. He adds an edge to the (usually) more upbeat instrumental compositions while keeping in line with the high energy.

The one area Sworn struggle with, at least on Null Crowned the Infinite, is closure. It often feels as if Sworn are unsure of when, or how, to end their lengthy compositions. While the tracks on A Journey Told Through Fire contained some emotional payoffs in their closing moments, the same impact isn’t felt here as consistently. “Null Crowned the Infinite” misses an opportunity to end on the high note of an incredible solo when it instead adds another minute of repetitive riffs and blast beats. Similarly, “Fracture of Aeons” and “The Entropic Void” do a great job of building up towards a potentially powerful emotional climax, yet get stuck and never quite break out into the needed payoff. This isn’t just a problem for conclusions, either—”A Cosmic Storm” spends way too much time on its intro, and a few other mid-portion moments stall out as well. On the flip side, “Circle of the Eternal” proves that Sworn still know how to wield instrumental segments to great effect, ending the record on a high note thanks to a mixture of triumphant solos and catchy melodic trems.

So is Null Crowned the Infinite an improvement over A Journey Told Through Fire? Not quite, but it’s close. As a whole, the latter remains the superior record, but some individual moments on this one upstage individual songs on the prior. Despite its dark tones, the album feels like a triumph, the work of confident musicians who have hit their stride. Sworn have truly blossomed late in their career and have proven themselves a black metal band to keep on your radar. The momentum built in the final minutes left me breathless and wanting an encore as soon as humanly possible.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: September 4th, 2026