Lars Kristoffer Hormander transforms
apocalyptic blackened sludge into visual horror
“Heir is a striking and potent record, presenting as an infectious mix of blackened violence and malevolent atmosphere.”
– Wonderbox Metal
“This is an album that doesn’t just speak
to the listener—it consumes them […]”
– Antihero Magazine
A new official music video has been released for Void Bringer, a track taken from ‘HEIR’, the latest full-length album by Swedish blackened sludge band THIS GIFT IS A CURSE. The video was directed and produced by visual artist Lars Kristoffer Hormander (@larskristo), and presents a monochrome visual narrative built around ritual, hallucination, and descent.
Following a storyline created in collaboration with vocalist Jonas A. Holmberg, Void Bringer depicts a figure’s psychological and spiritual collapse as they undergo a violent path toward transcendence through sacrifice. Drawing heavily on themes of isolation, cosmic horror, and metaphysical disintegration, the visuals combine AI-generated forms with an aesthetic inspired by silent-era cinema and early horror imagery.
Void Bringer is the third single from ‘HEIR’, and is described by the band as a conceptual centerpiece—both musically and lyrically. The track explores ideas around human consciousness as a form of contamination, the myth of spiritual elevation through destruction, and the confrontation of internal voids. The accompanying video expands on this narrative, offering a visual counterpart to the song’s focus on inevitability, obsession, and the dissolution of self.
Watch the visualizer here: https://youtu.be/DoM8oBZM8JQ
HEIR is out now via Season of Mist.
➤ Order & Stream: https://orcd.co/thisgiftisacurseheir
On April 19, 2025, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE will bring selections from HEIR to the stage at Kollektivet Livet in Stockholm, Sweden, marking one of their first major live appearances since the album’s release. Appearing as special guests on the evening, the band will deliver their distinct blend of blackened sludge and atmospheric violence in a rare hometown performance. The show forms part of a larger European tour headlined by Gaerea, but for Stockholm audiences, it offers a direct encounter with the raw, immersive energy of HEIR in a live setting.
➤ Tickets for this show are available here:
https://secure.tickster.com/en/7mwaatgzunc8hft/products
Tracklist:
1. Kingdom (5:43) [WATCH]
2. No Sun, nor Moon (8:17)
3. Void Bringer (9:17) [WATCH]
4. Death Maker (4:26)
5. Passing (2:17)
6. Seers of No Light (5:52)
7. Cosmic Voice (6:51)
8. Vow Sayer (6:00)
9. Old Space (8:42)
10. Ascension (9:17) [LISTEN]
Total runtime: 1:06:44
Country: Sweden (SE)
Genre: Black/Sludge Metal, Hardcore
FFO: Cursed, Oathbreaker, Trap Them, All Pigs Must Die