We don’t know if it means something different in Norwegian, but Higanbana, the second full-length from Norway’s blackgaze quartet, Sundrowned, is the word for the red spider lily flower in Japanese. It’s the “flower of the equinox,” typically appearing in the fall, like this new album. It’s also known as the “corpse flower” or “flower of death.” From what we can tell, however, that is not the flower pictured on the cover of Higanbana. Go figure. Musically, the album feels like fall, with its crisp mix of autumnal melodic shading and tempestuous musical and vocal harshness—one minute placid and calm, the next stormy and dark.
Higanbana was produced by Sundrowned, Ørjan Kristoffersen Lund and Morten Fjeld. It was recorded by Lund at Bridge Burner Recordings in Stavanger, October 2023, with vocals recorded by Tom Poole Kerr at Green Engine Recording, November 2023. It was mixed and mastered by Morten Fjeld. It’s set for independent digital release on September 26. Place your preorder here.
The band offered this declaration regarding its second offering:
“Despite the album’s at times darker themes and sound, Higanbana is at heart a celebration of life. Of getting to live in a world filled with wonderful sensations and experiences. And that finity creates a deeper meaning and almost an obligation to savor the small things.”
