Review Summary: Music as awesome as that album cover
In discussion of music, the term “sophomore slump” gets thrown around frequently. Whether or not it’s statistically more common than could otherwise be expected for a second album to disappoint after a promising debut, I’m sure anyone reading this could provide, off the top of their head, an example of an artist who severely regressed with their second album, whether or not they eventually managed to right the ship. That said, there is also an exact reverse trend, in which an artist manages to refine and perfect their vision on the second go-round, thereby leveling up quickly. Dream Unending’s
Song Of Salvation is a textbook example of this happier phenomenon.
A duo comprised of veterans of several death metal groups, Dream Unending’s 2021 debut
Tide Turns Eternal was met with interest and general acclaim. Its take on “dream doom” (effectively death doom metal meeting with lighter genres like psych-prog and post-rock) was fairly original, and executed solidly to boot. My personal thoughts on
Tide Turns Eternal, though, were that the results were ultimately more intriguing than an achievement of true excellence. In short, Dream Unending had a promising formula, but they hadn’t yet reached their final form, at least consistently through a full album.
Well, with
Song Of Salvation, that assessment has changed. This album feels like everything I hoped its predecessor would be. The music is tight and fluid, while effortlessly melding the disparate influences which the band dabbles in. In terms of structure, the record is satisfyingly symmetrical, its five song tracklist marked by mammoth bookends (the opening title track and closing “Ecstatic Reign”), a second and fourth track of medium length, and a centering brief interlude of notable beauty. All of them hit the required spots.
Song Of Salvation, in a concise runtime (more on that later), feels like it has a bit of everything. Need your metal to have
balls? Never fear, Dream Unending undoubtedly has the requisite cojones, for proof just observe the martial ending of the title track or the strutting opening of the sprawling closer, not to mention the guttural vocals calling up to you out of the abyss throughout. Want your daily dose of musical beauty? Then turn to the gorgeous clean guitar which opens the title track or the crystalline soloing which predominates throughout the aforementioned interlude. How about something out of left field? Well, focus on one of the several guest vocalists who make appearances, or better yet, the guest trumpeter who sorrowfully serenades us to enter “Secret Grief”. And best of all, everything referenced in this paragraph (and more) achieves cohesion, fusing together into a rather magical musical journey.
It’s only fair to note that
Song Of Salvation isn’t perfect. While this might be a rare complaint for a doom-associated release, the album runtime could easily be extended a few minutes and I’d be delighted. Additionally, the spoken word which features prominently late in “Ecstatic Reign” doesn’t quite do it, at least for me. Those nitpicks aside, though, this is a pretty astounding accomplishment of a second album. Full of pummeling riffs, emotional guitar solos, and intoxicating atmosphere,
Song Of Salvation shows that Dream Unending are now actually doing what they already suggested they’re capable of. It’s a beautiful thing to see.
