The End: Allt Ar Intet (Blue Vinyl)

The English translation of Allt Är Intet is "All Is Nothingness" - an apt enough title for a band already possessed of the scorched earth sonic tendencies and nihilist-leaning name of The End. Yet there's some ambiguity to that philosophy; the most bleak and despairing interpretation can be countered by 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 of Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson (Fire!, The Thing), Norwegian saxophonist Kjetil Møster (Møster!, Zanussi 5), Ethiopian-born vocalist Sofia Jernberg (Fire! Orchestra, PAAVO), Norwegian guitarist Anders Hana (MoHa!, Ultralyd(, and Norwegian drummer Børge Fjordheim (Cloroform). Anyone familiar with these boundary-leaping musicians' work is familiar with their throttling ferocity and ability to stretch their music into b