Frozen Ocean Open the Veil With “Askdrömmar,” A Haunting Journey Through the Living City
- The Metal Crawlspace
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Every city has a pulse. Anyone who’s lived long enough under streetlights and neon knows it. There’s something watching, something breathing behind the concrete and steel—a second city layered beneath the one we pretend is all there is. Most people choose not to look too closely. Frozen Ocean invite you to step closer.
With Askdrömmar, Vaarwel—the singular creative force behind Frozen Ocean—returns with one of the most evocative and emotionally resonant works of his more-than-two-decade career. Known for crafting immersive sonic worlds that have ranged from cosmic isolation to Norse myth and literary dreamscapes, Frozen Ocean once again blurs the boundary between music and environment. This time, the inspiration draws from the unsettling urban mysticism of John Ajvide Lindqvist and the emotionally raw darkness of Lifelover, with lyrics entirely in Swedish, communicating less through meaning and more through feeling.
Askdrömmar unfolds like a nocturnal walk through a city that knows your secrets. The journey begins with “Mångata,” a moonlit entrance both beautiful and unnerving, as Vaarwel’s rasped vocals cut through richly melodic black metal textures. From there, the city closes in. Gothic doom elements surface in “Bortkastade dödsrunor,” while the album steadily constructs a sense of place—these are not just songs, but streets, alleys, and forgotten corners.
By the time “Jag sover” arrives, the listener is fully submerged, wandering the labyrinthine heart of this shadowed metropolis. Synths shimmer like distant streetlamps on wet pavement in “I lyktornas sken,” creating layers of atmosphere that feel both hypnotic and oppressive. The album moves fluidly between despair and fragile beauty—from the aching lament of “Köttkvarn,” through the panic-driven urgency of “Långt lopp genom mörkret,” to the quietly devastating finale “Brunkebergstunneln.”
This is Frozen Ocean at their most powerful. Askdrömmar doesn’t just tell a story—it surrounds you with it. It’s a record that lingers long after the final note fades, leaving behind the uneasy sense that the city is still watching.
Adorned with stunning, atmospheric artwork by Mosaeye Art (The Hearth of Discordia, Shiningstar), Askdrömmar will be released by Apocalyptic Witchcraft on February 13 on CD digipak, cassette, digital formats, and an extremely limited exclusive boxed set.
Step through the veil. The city is waiting.
Line-up:
Vaarwel – Vocals, Guitars, Bass, E-bow, Keys, Lyrics, Music
Genre: Depressive Rock / Atmospheric Black Metal
For Fans Of: Lifelover | Katatonia | Apati | Joyless
Further Information:
> “…icy guitar melodies draped over impressive drum programming and hypnotic electronics.”
— Angry Metal Guy
