The English translation of Allt Är Intet is "All Is Nothingness"- an apt enough title for a band already possessed of thescorched earth sonic tendencies and nihilist-leaning nameof The End. Yet there's some ambiguity to that philosophy;the most bleak and despairing interpretation can be counteredby a more all-embracing, one-with-the-universe meditativeness.Perhaps surprisingly, either conclusion proves to fit Allt Är Intet,the remarkable second full-length album by The End.The powerhouse international quintet is made up ofSwedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson(Fire!, The Thing), Norwegian saxophonist Kjetil Møster(Møster!, Zanussi 5), Ethiopian-born vocalistSofia Jernberg (Fire! Orchestra, PAAVO), Norwegianguitarist Anders Hana (MoHa!, Ultralyd(, and Norwegiandrummer Børge Fjordheim (Cloroform).Anyone familiar with these boundary-leaping musicians'work is familiar with their throttling ferocity and abilityto stretch their music into brutal extremes with focusedintensity, as evidenced throughout The End's audacious2018 debut, Svarmod Och Vemod Är Värdesinnen(which featured Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier in lieuof Fjordheim). But their follow-up, achieved aftertwo years of continued exploration together, strikes anexhilarating balance between it's predecessor's blisteringmaelstroms and a more densely layered and haunting beauty.
