A.C.T. – Eternal Winter

One of the most unique acts of progressive rock and metal is A.C.T from Sweden, but in spite of that the band remains firmly rooted in the underground and is still a hidden gem to be discovered.

Where They Come From

A.C.T was founded thirty years ago in Malmö. They released five albums in ten years, but then slowed down and only had one more album done in 2014. But recently, the band picked up the pace again and with beautiful regularity has the Swedish quintet A.C.T been providing us with new listening material. Since 2019, they have released an EP every two years, with the playing time getting longer each time. Eternal Winter now bears the title “album” and, at 32 minutes, is only slightly longer than its predecessor Falling. But the label doesn’t matter when the result is this good—though, based on the presentation, which fits perfectly into the series of the last three EPs, I would still lean more toward calling it a short format.

More of Their Originality

Eternal Winter contains eight tracks that continue the band’s chosen path: a progressive blend of QUEEN-like bombast and ABBA melodies, combined with the band’s own quirks—especially thanks to the unusual singing voice of Ola Andersson. With this, the band has created a sound of its own and made a name for itself in the prog scene. However, I fear that outside of this musical circle, hardly anyone knows A.C.T.

One only has to listen to the happy prog of “The Family” to realize that this is a regrettable mistake. The cheerful drama—further enriched here with female guest vocals by Linea Olnert—sounds like the overture to a stage play. And indeed, the cleverly arranged songs, most of them quite short and often ending before you expect, can actually be seen in this light. This aspect is more emphasized than on the previous EPs; otherwise, Eternal Winter is simply typical A.C.T.—and therefore simply brilliant.

Besides the opener “The Family”, I’d like to highlight two other pieces. First, there’s “When Snow Was Magic”, an obvious Christmas song, which sounds rather odd at today’s nearly twenty-five degrees and, in some places—not only lyrically—slips into kitsch. At the other end of the spectrum is “Home”, which breaks free from the three-minute formula and, at about twice the length of the other tracks, clearly stands out. For prog fans, this is definitely the highlight: the song shows that the Swedish band really creates its music without a corset, simply letting their creativity flow.

A Band Worth Exploring

Eternal Winter is the latest proof of the virtuosity and originality of these Swedish five, who were met with both a frown and a smile when they introduced their Today’s Report and Imaginary Friends at the turn of the millennium. Since then, A.C.T. have grown into a true staple of Scandinavian prog. As they have yet to release a song that isn’t worth listening to—at least for music lovers with an open mind—this latest EP could serve as a perfect entry point into their musical universe: a progressive rabbit hole where wonders await.

Tracklist

1. Intro
2. The Family
3. A New Beginning
4. When Snow Was White
5. Waiting For The Sun
6. This Special Day
7. Signs
8. Home
9. The Big Parade

Lineup

Herman Saming – vocals
Ola Andersson – vocals, guitar
Jerry Sahlin – vocals, synthesizer
Peter Asp – bass
Thomas Lejon – drums