Swedish post-hardcore band Tengil is a constellation of musicians playing atmospheric, experimental heavy music that is at once nostalgic, quasi-symphonic and spiritually violent. The band tabs itself as "a spiritual task, an impulsion to through music tell the story of moments passing you by, the longing to live and die at the same time, to always be both among and in flames." Despite its young age, Tengil as a collective has already performed over 50 concerts across Europe and released the full-length album "Six" (2015) as well as a slew of EPs and singles. The band's Prophecy debut is titled "shouldhavebeens".
"'shouldhavebeens' tells the story of two friends, three New Year's Eves and one longing greater than life," says the band. The record aims to speak about nostalgia, saudade, mental illness, decadence, the promise of tomorrow, and how our collective views of future themselves determine who we turn out to be.
Tengil's eye-opening musical style has developed from raw hardcore to an almost heavenly wall of aggressive sound which takes center stage on "shouldhavebeens". Commanding a mind-bending and dynamic meld of hardcore, rock, blackgaze and melody, Tengil weilds its wide-reaching range over varied tempos, electronics, and occasional pop moments executed with a raw energy that suggests a mash up of Dillinger Escape Plan and Explosions in the Sky. Although its delivery and musical approach is very different, the inherent self-confidence and captivating creativity that Tengil shows on 'shouldhavebeens', calls for comparison to Alcest and its legendary debut "Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde".
With flowing grace and force of conviction, Tengil's lush layers of sound crush and caress in equal measure. Explosive, angular, powerful and enlightening, "shouldhavebeens" propels the listener across multiple musical boundaries.
