Review Summary: Fours years since their last LP see's Daylight Dies maturing and carving their own niche' into the Metal community.
If the music is anything to go by, Daylight Dies aren't a very happy group of indivduals. 'Dismanlting Devotion' is one of the most meloncholy and despressing albums in recent memory and 'Lost to the Living' wasn't any cheerier either, being another example at why Daylight Dies are one of the primary melodic death/doom acts around today. If you've heard Daylight Dies before then you know what you're in for, if not well you're in for quite a surprise.
Not alot has changed in the 4 years since their last LP, they're still as angry and sad as they were on their previous 2 albums. Daylight Dies still are still utilising the same formula, with the catchy, sorrowful melodic guitar leads and crushing riffage. Some surprises are in store though. The first track on the album 'Infidel' blasts onto the scene at a speed and furouisty of which Daylight Dies has never seen before, granted its not a fast song by any means, but for Daylight Dies, a band known for their slow, doomy approach its quite refreshing. The deep, guttural growls are also sounding alot fiercer since their last LP, full of anger and emotion. In fact, the band as a whole are sounding alot more agressive this time around, pounding double bass and crushing, headbanging riffs are literally shoved in your face, and its brilliant.
That's not to say the entire album is like this, oh no. There are still the hauntingly beautiful acostic passages and the cleanly sung vocals, both adding to the meloncholy nature of the album. The lyrics are also in fine form this time around, focussing on the typical Doom themes of depression, sorrow and hope. Take a look at the lyrics from 'Dreaming Of Breathing, for example:
'A final knife
In the back
The wound
Straight through the heart
Our eyes so blind we can't see
Our minds die as our souls weep
The life choked out by the hand that feeds
The air so thin we can't breathe
Our souls decay as our minds sleep
Our backs broken by the hands that feed'
Its not all good though, in fact Daylight Dies fall victim to the one thing we love them for, consistency. The songs lack a certain variety, never doing anything different from what you're expecting of them. Sure they throw in an acoustic part here, clean vocals here and an occasional breakdown there, its just we've heard it all before. Unlike bands like say, Amon Amarth, who release the same album everytime and manage to sound fresh and exciting, Daylight Dies are struggling here. Comparing the two might be a little unfair as they both play a completly different style of Metal to one another, but the princple still stands.
With Daylight Dies 4th LP we see them maturing into their own niche' in the Metal community and building on the foundations that made their previous LP's great. By no means is this in the same league as 'Dismantling Devotion' which still to this day can leave you in awe, but for what it is and does, Daylight Dies triumphantly return to the Metal scene with their own unique offering of melodic death/doom metal.
