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CRITIC REVIEWS
91
The album is monumental in every sense of the word, a visceral testament to the abilities of an incredible group of musicians, each member contributing equally to its breathtaking chiaroscuro.
90
Legendary experimental rock outfit Swans returns with one of the most transcendental releases in their discography: The Glowing Man.
83
If The Glowing Man and its recent expansive—and invitingly difficult—predecessors have proven anything, it’s that Gira’s mission is to be boundary-less.
83
In all of that lies the brilliance of Swans. No experimental group has been able to so perfectly reflect the psychological turmoil of existence and the heavy burden of our pains and regrets.
81
Swans close their current chapter on a subdued but powerful note.
80
A defiantly draining listen that's also weirdly uplifting in its ruthless pursuit of a singular vision, The Glowing Man confirms that Gira is an unparalleled artist operating at a strange experimental nexus, somewhere outside the defined borders of folk, metal, classical, and drone.
80
The album serves as another exhilarating portal into the unknown.
80
We’re left with yet another cathartic artefact that, whilst perhaps shrinking in the shadow of what came before, bookends the latest metamorphosis of a band whose next form is anyone’s guess.
80
Unsettling as it may be, this conflict is a testament to Swans’ unparalleled ability to translate the absurd violence of the human condition into music that’s as intoxicating as it is intense.
80
It has a slightly transitory feel; a half-step back from those monolithic builds and whiplash grooves, gesturing towards something more contemplative and… well, “softer” feels the wrong word, but certainly weathered by the journey.
80
With a running time of just under two hours, ‘The Glowing Man’ may prove too punishing for some but those willing to invest time in its fiery depths will discover yet another remarkable Swans album.
70
Read as something of a restatement of ideals The Glowing Man is impressive, if perhaps unessential.
70
Fans of the band will enjoy the mature and practiced sound of this very good album, but the unconvinced might remain so, as the band don't exactly reinvent the wheel on The Glowing Man.
66
A record that’s as uncompromising as Swans’ best work from this era, but hardly as essential.
65
Whereas The Seer and To Be Kind defied boredom and logic with two-hour runtimes, The Glowing Man wears its 118 minutes less gracefully.
60
This failure to consistently engage will perhaps be as much a block on its reception, appreciation, and interpretation as any uncertain allegation bearing on its author’s private life.
60
While their long, drawn-out, circling dark clouds remain potent, ultimately The Glowing Man is the weakest of the three powerful epics they've released since 2012.
Erasing my old review to talk about this album, that has grown to be one of the most hypnotic listens I’ve ever heard. It’s no surprise that I have enjoyed Swans work. To Be Kind is a behemoth of an album that feels larger than life. Soundtracks for the Blind is an album that is shocking and challenging, but satisfying every step of its insanely long journey. With The Glowing Man, we get something completely different.
I ran across this album after hearing TBK expecting something ... read more
I ran across this album after hearing TBK expecting something ... read more
Michael Gira and his Swans are back with the fourth and final record of this iteration of the band. The Glowing Man is a huge, epic closing piece for this immense and ambitious project that has put out during the last few years some of the most outstanding and downright awe-inspiring music pieces of the decade, so far. It somehow works as a kind of summary for what the band has done in this iteration, blending all the mystic and dense atmospheres from The Seer (Cloud of Forgetting) with the ... read more
Whereas The Seer was abrasive and cosmic, and To Be Kind was physical and immediate, The Glowing Man is more patient and spiritual. In this album, the tracks are overall much longer than Swans previous efforts, and Swans demonstrate their mastery at creating long and drawn out sonic textures and grooves ending with cataclysmic and crushing waves of sound. This coupled with more religious imagery, lyricism, and themes end up creating a spiritual listening experience that transcended the human ... read more
END OF YEAR LISTS
| #4 | / | The Needle Drop |
| #17 | / | Louder Than War |
| #20 | / | Earbuddy |
| #28 | / | Pretty Much Amazing |
| #32 | / | Treble |
| #35 | / | No Ripcord |
| #38 | / | Sputnikmusic |
| #46 | / | Uncut |
| #62 | / | Rough Trade |
| #71 | / | Fopp |
| #81 | / | Piccadilly Records |
| #87 | / | The Quietus |
MISC LISTS
| #14 | / | Beardfood |
| #45 | / | Drift Records |
Track List
- Cloud of Forgetting
- Cloud of Unknowing
- The World Looks Red / The World Looks Black
- People Like Us
- Frankie M
- When Will I Return?
- The Glowing Man
- Finally, Peace
User Lists
In Library (55)
stereogum.com
New Track: Swans – “When Will I Return” 
stereogum.com
Premature Evaluation: Swans "To Be Kind" 
Added on: April 5, 2016
