The Weight of the Mask is the fourth studio album by British post-hardcore band Svalbard, released on 6 October 2023 through Nuclear Blast Records.

After initial writing sessions were hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Svalbard began working on new material in April 2021, before recording the album in February 2023 with long-time producer Lewis Johns at The Ranch Production House in Southampton.

The Weight of the Mask debuted and peaked number 29 on the UK Independent Albums Chart and received praise for its songwriting, emotional lyrics and themes; Bandcamp Daily, Blabbermouth.net and Kerrang!

[1][2] Writing was initially hindered due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[3] which prevented Svalbard from working on material in person, and co-lead vocalist and lead guitarist Serena Cherry said that it "took a while [for the band] to find each other again".

[2] Guitarist and co-lead vocalist Liam Phelan stated that the pandemic nevertheless gave the band a creative push, helping bring out more of an emotional edge to Cherry's lyrics and his music.

[5] Svalbard worked on material at their practice space in Bristol; although half of the band's members were split between there and London, they arranged to meet up on weekends instead of "[emailing] each other riffs".

[1][6] In February 2023, Svalbard recorded The Weight of the Mask with long-time producer Lewis Johns at The Ranch Production House in Southampton.

[18][19] In an interview with Kerrang!, Cherry said she was inspired to incorporate violins after seeing Phelan perform with his other band Morrow, and compared their use to My Dying Bride.

[24][25] "Eternal Spirits" was written as a tribute to deceased musicians within the metal community; the song was specifically dedicated to Joey Jordison, former drummer of Slipknot, who died in 2021.

[1] "How to Swim Down" is about unrequited love; Cherry wrote the song from the perspective of a World of Warcraft healer to "illustrate this point, of selflessly pouring your energy into someone from a distance".

[12] For Cherry, this was Fright Nights at Thorpe Park, which she has visited since she was a teenager;[25] she had previously helped compose music for the event's Creek Freak Massacre maze in 2019.

[25] Svalbard "unofficially" began the promotional cycle for The Weight of the Mask with the release of the album's lead single, "Eternal Spirits", on 27 February 2023.

[2] On 15 August 2023, "How to Swim Down" was released as the third single, coupled with an animated music video directed by Boy Tillkens and storyboarded by Cherry.

[34] On 31 January 2024, the band released a live music video for "To Wilt Beneath the Weight", filmed at the 2023 Beyond the Redshift Festival at the O2 Forum in London.

[11] Lothar Gerber of Metal Hammer Germany highlighted the album's "numerous guitar melodies and emotional harmonies" while singling out Matt Francis for his performance on bass.

[45] Danni Leivers of Metal Hammer UK said that its balance of heaviness and vulnerability showcased the extent of Svalbard's songwriting developments from When I Die, Will I Get Better?, stating: "The album hangs together cohesively and purposefully, an exercise of extremes that never offers answers, but that stands as a stunning monument to the human experience.