Melodic Death Metal

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    Countless Skies - Glow (2020)

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    Unleashing one of the most impressive releases of 2020, today we have Countless Skies and their sophomore full-length release “Glow”. In a time that there is so much uncertainty and shittiness in the world, one of the things that brings smiles to people is music, and this is one of those releases that will captivate and change the mood of the listener from the first minute. If you thought that Dark Tranquillity was going to take the best Melodic Death Metal release of 2020, you better wait until you check this one out.

    Opening with an instrumental intro, “Tempest” sets a very magical and wondrous vibe thanks to its crafty use of atmospheric keyboards and the soaring guitars. The mixture of harsh vocals and soaring clean vocals alongside epic guitar leads gives the song a certain proggy edge that makes it even more impressive. The magic continues with the lush “Summit”, a slowly building piece that shines a very bright light by combining elements of bands like Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, with the roughness of Bela’kor. This track takes epic vocal arrangements to a whole new level for the band, creating an epic complement to their already superb core.

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    Décembre Noir - The Renaissance of Hope (2020)

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    Hailing from Germany, today we have Melodic Death/Doom Metal outfit Décembre Noir with their harrowing fourth full-length release “The Renaissance of Hope”. Featuring nearly 50 minutes of firm and yet highly emotional music, the band delivers six brutal tracks that brilliantly balance fragility, aggression and melody. For fans of bands like Swallow the Sun, My Dying Bride, and similar outfits, this release will certainly bring some fuzzy warmness during the winter months.

    Opening with the pummeling “A Swan Lake Full of Tears”, the band quickly establishes a hefty balance between incisive guitar riffs and gruff growls. Setting a high bar, this track is quite hectic and powerful even as it progresses into more melodic and solemn minimalist interludes with clean vocals. Those looking for heavier pieces, “Hope/Renaissance” and “Wings of Eschaton” are both quite pummeling thanks to crafty drum patterns and very heavy dueling guitar work. While many bands tend to become overly melodic, Décembre Noir’s sound is quite firm and ravaging.

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    Dark Tranquillity - Moment (2020)

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    Unleashing one of the most expected releases of 2020, today we have Sweden’s Dark Tranquillity and their mesmerizing release “Moment”. Featuring over 50-minutes of superbly crafted Melodic Death Metal, the band continues to deliver their signature style music with a few additions courtesy of new guitarists Johan Reinholdz and Christopher Amott.

    Opening the release with great style and energy, “Phantom Days” sets forth this aural journey with the futuristic keyboards of Martin Brändström alongside re-energized melodic guitar passages and exciting guitar leads. As both Amott and Reinholdz have integrated into the band, tracks like “Transient” and “Identical to None” change things up a bit and feel more energetic and engaging, with ripping solos and unparalleled guitar craftsmanship, to go alongside the band’s signature melody.

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    Carcass - Despicable (2020)

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    As a fine wine, Carcass has nicely matured over time while keeping true to their signature sound, the band continues to aggressively tour and give killer performances. As a preview for their upcoming full-length release, the band delivers “Despicable”, just in time for Halloween. Featuring four tracks and nearly 20 minutes of music that will not be part of their next release, this album delivers the signature melodic/catchy Death Metal/Death’n’Roll sound we all love.

    The release kicks off with the signature Carcass guitars of “The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue”. In this track we get a nicely paced piece filled with chugging riffs and crafty tempo changes. Jeff Walker’s usual snarl is as powerful as always, and on “The Long And Winding Bier Road” it shows that clean vocals can also create very catchy and engaging chorus sections, alongside pretty epic guitar leads.

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    Mors Principium Est - Seven (2020)

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    Lucky number “Seven” is the latest release by Finnish Melodic Death Metal outfit Mors Principium Est. Delivering their signature catchy, crafty, and blistering melodic music, the ‘band’ unleashes over 48 minutes of intense headbanging music. For the fans of Kalmah, Omnium Gatherum, and Finnish Melo DM in general, this release will keep you entertained and fully engaged.

    Shifting from a band to a duo since a few years back, Mors Principium Est fully maintains their high-octane approach to the genre, while embedding subtle atmospheric synths and crafty technical details. The opener, “A Day For Redemption”, is a clear example of the band’s perfect balance of aggression, melody, and guitar acrobatics. Permanent guitarist, Andy Gillion, is one of the best in the biz and delivers some killer guitar leads on tracks like “Lost in a Starless Aeon”, which create a very melancholic vibe in this excellent song.

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    Noumena - Anima (2020)

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    Crafting a very unique and yet recognizable sound, Finland’s Noumena delivers “Anima”, their latest full-length effort. Mixing a folkier edge to traditional Melodic Death Metal similar to bands like Wolfheart and early Amorphis, the band unleashes nearly one hour of expertly crafted music that will appeal genre nostalgics while introducing a few different elements into the mix.

    After the folky opening with “Kaiku”, the band’s sound oozes emotions and melody in the superbly crafted “Saatto”. Alongside the weeping lead guitars and growls, we have lively clean female vocals and very solemn slower passages. In full-on Amorphis worship, “Murtuneet” and “Seula” made us instantly think that we had our playlist on shuffle, however, the band continues to infuse their uniqueness to the music with a jazzy bass guitar line and some killer guitar leads.

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    Myridian- Light in the Abyss (2020)

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    Keeping the flame alive of Melodic Death/Doom Metal releases, today we have Australia’s Myridian and their killer third full-length release “Light in the Abyss”. Reminiscing of bands like October Tide, In Mourning, etc., this release delivers nearly 70 minutes of highly melancholic music filled with crafty guitars, lush atmospherics, and firm growls. We have no idea how this release made it to our inbox, but we are quite intoxicated by it.

    Creating a fully immersive aural experience, “Light is Lost” starts with waves of melodic riffs, harsh vocals and a very mellow tempo that creates a highly melancholic vibe. The playful guitar leads and crafty instrumental passages nicely lead the way to the faster pace of “Nidellavir”, a track that includes some proggy experimental elements paired with solemn clean vocals. Keeping the melancholic vibe going, “Babylon” delivers a classical Death/Doom approach with contrasting vocal styles and firm riffing.

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    Hinayana - Death Of The Cosmic (2020)

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    Hooking us instantly into their highly polished Melodic Death Metal sound, today we have Hinayana and their major label debut EP “Death of the Cosmic”. Delivering 23 minutes of pure headbanging greatness, this release is of similar quality to anything that bands like Omnium Gatherum, Insomnium and Dark Tranquility have released. If you are a fan of the genre, it is quite nice that Napalm Records is giving the band the push they need to reach a wider audience with their killer music.

    The album title opener creates a very mystical atmosphere with lush keyboards as the crafty guitars make their way. The band’s music is quite refined and this track showcases an exciting combination of melodic riffs, traditional growls, and a very lively vibe. After the brilliant opener, “Cold Conception” takes a bit of a step back and delivers a more stylized approach with intricate drum patterns and crafty guitar solos. While the band’s sound is typical of the genre, their unique and more atmospheric take on it sets them apart from the rest.

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    Descend - The Deviant (2020)

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    Breaking the funk of multiple weeks of non-stop Black Metal releases being reviewed, today we have an excellent Progressive/Melodic Death Metal outfit from Sweden named: Descend. Combining elements of bands like Opeth, Cynic, In Mourning, and Persefone, “The Deviant” is one hell of a cinematic experience filled with technical intricacies and superbly catchy songwriting.

    Warming up the listener with the melodic instrumental opener “Avalin”, the band nicely builds up to the proggy melodies of “Blood Moon” and its crafty tempo changes. The mixture of clean and harsh vocals is nicely balanced, and the addition of female vocals on tracks like “The Purest One” add an extra layer to the band’s excellent sound. For those looking into more experimental/free-style songs, “Lily” has a nice mixture of fast-paced sections and highly crafty instrumental interludes.

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    Meridian Dawn - The Fever Syndrome (2020)

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    Unleashing 35 minutes of superbly crafted Melodic Death Metal, today we have international project Meridian Dawn and their debut full-length release “The Fever Syndrome”. Being huge fans of the genre, we are quite critical of any release we get, however, this duo manages to craft nine tracks that are both engaging and exciting to listen, filled with melody and guitar wizardry. For those of you looking for your Melo Death fix of 2020, this is one release you can’t miss out on.

    Opening with “Iconic”, the band gets straight to business with killer melodic guitars and a blistering tempo to quickly escalate things. With a certain Nightrage vibe, it took us a minute to realize that vocalist Antony Hämäläinen used to be the vocalist of this band back when they released “Insidious” and our favorite “Wearing a Martyr's Crown”. Tracks like “Fever Syndrome” and “With a Heavy Burden…” perfectly negotiate the balance between soaring melodies and aggressive tempo changes, delivering valuable minutes of headbanging bliss.

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