This Gift Is A Curse - Heir

It’s exciting when an album pleasantly surprises you in an evolutionary way. We already had that happen for 2025 when Paleface Swiss dropped a new full length and shifted from Downtempo Deathcore to a mix of Deathcore Nu-Metal that felt like Slipknot’s debut reborn in a way that Vended tried but didn’t quite hit the mark (still that was good), and it opened up new doors for them. Similarly in Sweden, This Gift Is A Curse (or Cvrse as the kvlt kids spell it) has been hard at work for the past six years on their fourth full length and it shines brighter than the star about to be swallowed by a black hole of cosmic Black Metal. They pushed all the limits here and as a result fans are going to get something slightly different but all the more exciting. For those who have never heard of these guys before, the lineup is still five pointed star strong with Christian Augustin on drums, Lars Gunnarsson on bass and backing vocals, Patrik Andersson on guitars and vocals, Jonas Holmberg on vocals, and David Deravian also on guitars. Their past works have been a mix of Mayhem meets Knoll in a swirling chaotic mix with some Doom elements spread throughout for atmospheric touches, but here they really delve into the cosmic side of their work, coming across more like Rotting Christ meets Leviathan for a heavy, long, and addictive sound. The album is a bit longer than what most might be used to so buckle up for a ride worth price of admission for “Heir.”

Usually This Gift opens with a Noisecore style Industrial tinged beginning to suck people in, but they get right to the point in a swirling Deathspell Omega styled ‘Kingdom’ tinged with the usual Mayhem bits as it alters between fast, midpaced, and slow, adding almost a ritualistic ambiance like Rotting Christ does. The big first surprise is a new guest vocal spot from Laura Morgan whose voice is not used enough on the tracks as she really brings out the haunting side of the band and helps shape the direction. That’s not to say that vocalists Jonas, Patrik, and Lars don’t shine- they each have a good range of spoken word parts, harsh snarls and Behemoth crisp bellows, which don’t get buried in the storm of guitars, bass, and drums. It is a strong start and a nice showcase of how “Heir” is changing right off the bat. Then you get the rhythmic, yet repetitive side of a track like ‘No Sun, Nor Moon’ which has that hypnotic, thumping quality that touches more on the Doom side, but at the same time serves as a pitfall for the band as it can get a little boring after a while, especially with the longer length. Then the thicker, more abrasive mid paced churn of ‘Void Bringer’ brings the loud and the slow, haunting back in Mayhem meets Deathspell Omega form, especially with the somber guitar notes from Patrik and David while the vocals bellow and the bass rumbles from Lars. The percussive thunder from Christian is almost militaristic but layered, and the keyboards or what sound like keyboards for the Industrial elements help support everything. It is a thick symphony of darkness but without all the pomp.
The more Noise/ Industrial side of This Gift is seen in tracks like ‘Passing’ which have that Lurker of Chalice and Leviathan feeling as they just unnerve with the sounds and samples, devoid of the drudging melody that crawls along in the following track and serves as a breather interlude before things kick back into Blackened Doom fashion. ‘Seers of No Light’ starts out slow and explodes before reining in the sound again, letting the vocals and drums take command while the guitars in their hazy tremolos and cries serve almost as background noise. The vocals are more tortured sounding but still emotional and powerful, showing “Heir’s” atmospheric side while retaining the Black Metal roots, much like how Funeral Mist does their work sometimes mixed with Dark Funeral. While again the lyrical repetition at some points add to the ritualistic ambiance, it can feel more like it is boring at times for those who have the music ADHD. But, one cannot deny the power of those screams with the riffs towards the end of the song as it is a cacophony of Black Metal grandeur. Those who have heard Grand Celestial Nightmare know exactly the feeling.

The Leviathan elements really come into play with ‘Cosmic Voice’ and bring a bit of the U.S. Black Metal side to the band. While in the past the European Black Metal sound was alive and well, this extra facet just helps make This Gift all the more special. The drums are a bit repetitive in the beginning the backing synth just drenches the atmosphere and then things kick off with the vocals and guitars and drums, but unlike other tracks here the keyboards have the spotlight in the mix, and for better or worse, makes this track one of the most atmospheric or symphonic on the album for “Heir.” It also might be a little more straightforward than some of the others, and while it takes away from that Deathspell Omega haphazard sound that has made This Gift such a roller coaster ride, the stripped down touches make it highly emotional and a great ritualistic piece embody the elements that “Heir” presents. For a good culmination of what This Gift has done up to this point and to close the album on a evolutionary note, ‘Ascension’ takes everything the album has thrown at listeners so far and presents it in a tasteful, 9 minute epic that satisfies those who like the long tracks, and yet twists and turns enough that the ADHD ones won’t get bored unlike on some of the other tracks. It’s dense, but tasteful, and a modern Black Metal masterpiece that will appeal to those who like Uada or even Blackbraid.

It is rare to hear a Black Metal record that encompasses almost every touch from the subgenres out there, and This Gift Is A Curse have really delivered that with “Heir.” A huge evolutionary step for them a album masterpiece that is sure to go down as one of those ‘hey if you’ve never heard Black Metal before albums you need to listen to this as it is going to really get you into it…’ kind of conversation, kind of like when recommending Emperor, Mayhem, or even Dimmu Borgir or we see those Top 10 Black Metal records From Whatever Year lists we like to make, but that’s all exciting. It’s exciting to hear music that breaks the mold for the band and shoves them in the deep end out of their comfort zone while still providing a safe word core sound, and “Heir” is the result of This Gift Is A Curse not willing to play it safe but also not being dumb and changing up everything to the point where the band doesn’t sound like they know who they are anymore. A strong, 2025 Black Metal effort that will appeal any Black Metal- or hell maybe ANY Metal fan- out there and a sure shoe in for the end of the year top album for 2025 on many a list that will come about in the months to come. Is it longer and more repetitive than what some might be used to? Sure. But it’s still so good one can’t skip the track.


4.5 / 5 STARS