Norwegian melodic black metal ensemble Sworn talk creativity, cosmic darkness and crafting fifth studio album, 'Null Crowned the Infinite'

From the inane, 30-second-long shorts we binge on TikTok to the frenzied work deadlines and daily preoccupations that plague our waking hours, humanity’s fixation with the fleeting and terminally trivial finds many of us hopelessly blind to anything beyond our own frequently blinkered and insular worldview – let alone all the infinite and unknowable mysteries of the cosmos. And then there are musical entities like Sworn, whose staggeringly expansive artistic vision not only defies the parameters of what many imagine black metal to be capable of attaining but – better yet – conjures forth a body of work spanning aeons of nothingness and cold desolation, creation and wonder, only to collapse once again into oblivion beneath the incalculable weight of its own unfathomable vastness.

With ‘A Journey told through Fire’s’ beguiling blend of intricately lacerating, frost-stricken viscerality and Hollywood blockbuster-worthy orchestral arrangements ensnaring a sizeable global following on its release in 2023, fans have spent the intervening years eagerly awaiting this gifted yet entirely independent band’s next delectably blackened studio move. Hellbent on crafting something immense in every conceivable sense of the word, these ever-ambitious Norwegians now unveil a whole conceptual universe some meticulous three years in the making. Ahead of the release of breathtaking fifth album ‘Null Crowned the Infinite’, founder and lead guitarist Christoffer Kjørsvik talks creative motivation, cosmic darkness and the most compositionally intrepid moment of his career thus far…

With ‘Null Crowned the Infinite’ due for release in September, how are you feeling as the band enters this next chapter?

We are very excited for this release. Our previous album 'A Journey told through Fire' was a defining moment for us and apparently an album that many felt had something special. That is awesome, but also builds a lot of anticipation for this next album. As we have told our fans, as a big thank you to all the support we received after releasing 'A Journey told through Fire', we wanted to give back to the fans as best we could, hence why we hired some very big names for the production and visuals. We also of course wanted to follow up with another strong album musically so we really took our time with the creation of the music and the concept and thematics of this album. It's a full package that we are very excited to share with the fans, and we are curious to see what people think of it. Early signals from those few who have heard it already are very good, so that is awesome.

I understand Sworn began life as a solo project. Can you tell us a little about the origins of the band, such as the vision or motivation that first set things in motion and how this evolved in the years that followed?

That is correct. Back in 2005 when I created the project I didn't really have a specific vision other than that I wanted to create my own black metal band after being very influenced by other artists in the genre after discovering it. I guess one thing led to another. Starting with discovering black metal and diving into that rabbit hole, then picking up the guitar and learning to play it. And just having a creative drive led to writing my own songs. So it felt natural to give those songs a project to exist within. Not long after, Sworn became a full band and has had more or less the same lineup since. Inspirations back then were black metal bands of the more melodic style, and that is the style we always stuck to, it just evolved to a more mature version of itself as the years passed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkMamxDTto8&list=RDBkMamxDTto8&start_radio=1

'Null Crowned the Infinite' contains both the signature, grandiose atmospheres and intense aggression that define your sound whilst simultaneously pushing forward into increasingly bleak and darkly immersive territories. Was there a conscious desire to progress the music further in that direction, or did the album naturally evolve that way?

Musically it's just a natural progression I think. I write music that I like to listen to. I don't write it for anyone else. So whatever I make is kind of a snapshot of my taste at that time. And taste evolves and changes over the years. Broadly speaking, there isn't a huge change compared to the previous album. It will sound a bit darker and more atmospheric at times, but still it has some of our most aggressive parts ever recorded as well.

This growing darkness can be witnessed, too, in the thematic/lyrical dimension of your work, with 'Null Crowned...' centring on what the press release describes as the "terrifying scale of cosmic darkness and the fragility of existence", both of which are timeless themes that have preoccupied humanity since the dawn of civilisation. How do these themes manifest themselves throughout the record, and what drew you towards exploring them in particular?

Well, last time around we ended up making something that is sort of a concept album. This time we wanted a fully fleshed out concept album from the start. So we discussed different themes before landing on this one. Personally I've always been fascinated by the mysteries of the cosmos and the origin of the universe. And also what will happen to it in billions of years. I think it's a fascinating concept for an atmospheric black metal album. Just the unfathomable nature of the cosmos paired with a dark musical atmosphere is a stellar combo in my mind.

As for how they manifest themselves, this was given quite a bit of thought as one can maybe see on the tracklist. It's a timeline of the beginning and end of the cosmos, ending with the philosophical question; is it all just an endless cycle of creation and unmaking? I could go into detail about the timeline but I think it’s better for the listener to discover that for themselves than if I just explained the whole thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbO12iACGPE&list=RDBbO12iACGPE&start_radio=1

From its sweepingly grandiose, cinematic trappings and intricately layered riffing structures to some utterly bone-shattering feats of sonic extremity, I found 12-minute opener 'The Starless Origin' to be an absolutely riveting inroad into the new album. Could you tell us a little about how that piece came together?

Thank you. I wish I had a good straight forward answer to this but I don't think I can explain it so easily. All Sworn tracks come together through ideas that are carefully merged like a puzzle. This one took quite some time as it has a lot of sections but the general vision for the track was to start with something that can give the sonic impression of the void giving birth to reality in a dark and unsettling way. And then start slow and gradually build up to an atmospheric climax at the end. 12 minutes is long but it just felt natural as the track was formed. I think it’s a very strong piece of music that grows on you, and I love tracks like that. Also a very fitting opener for a concept album.

Pär Olofsson captures the grandeur and desolation of the record superbly well in his cover imagery. What made him the right artist for ‘Null Crowned the Infinite’, and how closely did you collaborate in developing the visual concept?

Yep, he did a phenomenal job. I always wanted to work with him because of his attention to detail and just insane creativity. As can be seen in his previous work. I actually wasn't sure if he was the correct artist before contacting him because his art is generally more gore-oriented and more fitting to death metal, but after talking to him and asking if he was interested in making something darker, he showed us some stuff and we were convinced. We gave pretty clear instructions on what we wanted, which he understood perfectly. He more or less nailed it on the first sketch which was awesome to see, and from there we just perfected it together discussing the details. It was a very smooth experience to work with him. Very professional and of course a super talented artist.

Finally, with the album's release approaching, what are your plans for bringing these songs to the stage? And beyond that, what does the remainder of the year have in store for Sworn?

Yeah we are preparing for the release as best we can. There's a lot of work to do, especially since we are an independent band. Cover artwork for physical formats, keeping up on bandcamp sales, preparing for live shows, ordering new merch, booking shows. We are staying busy. Right now we have two shows in Norway confirmed for 2026, and working on more, so stay tuned for updates on that.

Thanks for the interview!

'Null Crowned the Infinite' is out now via The Circle Music

Click HERE to order your copy now