I just watched Omnium Gatherum’s latest video and was – no surprise there – struck all over again with the closeness to the sleepless ones. And indeed, Insomnium and their somewhat stereotypical brand of melodeath often stands for the law by which all shalt be measured.
Good that we have new folks on the block who will hopefully challenge that (alleged) supremacy. Anima Hereticae just sent a serious warning that things may be about to change. And now we just met up with As the Sun Falls. And this band sports a pretty sturdy brand of Melodic Death Metal.
Where the Silence Reigns combines a number of singles that were scattered about the discography and some new stuff. A good cross-section of the metal this band is able to disseminate. Now, Insomnium – unfortunately – immediately comes to mind once you fire up the EP. But by Loki’s terrible minions, the sunny ones amped the power up somewhat fierce. Typical, yet red-hot riffing, breathtaking solos, extensive melodics usually not present on melodeath pieces, and blast beats that risk sending you to the moon and back. All of the above permeates the whole blurb with delicious melancholy to spare. Scandinavian metal delights all over again? Quite.
Now, is rehashing old material into EPs a good habit? The RMR reviewers have their reservations. But if Where The Silence Reigns is an indicator of better things to come, their upcoming full-length will should be a fucking killer piece full of Finnish roaringly good metal and their typical sense of desolation. Only for now, they sail a tad too close to the ones without sleeping pills.
So, As the Sun Falls, smash the steely restraints of an overly closed genre and dethrone the masters that be. You’ve got the goods – but for that, you need to move out of that box. Just sayin’.
Label: Self-Released | Web: Facebook (band)
Release Date: 13 October 2023
The guitarist of As The Sun Falls actually played guitar for Anima Hereticae. I saw them both live in Lithuania!