In Mourning - Afterglow

Tracklist:-

1. Fire And Ocean

2. The Grinning Mist

3. Ashen Crown

4. Below Rise To The Above

5. The Lighthouse Keeper

6. The Call To Orion

7. Afterglow

Bands go through stylistic changes all throughout their careers. Swede's In Mourning are no exception. From their early beginnings as a doom/gothic metal band at the turn of the millennium, to the progressive/melodic death metal band we know of today, In Mourning sure has more than a few stories to tell. With their profile growing, they released their fourth full-length in May via Agonia Records and have appeared at a number of European festival this summer.

I’ve always been a big fan of older bands like Dark Tranquillity, (early) Opeth, Insomnium and the like. In Mourning has more than earned their place amongst that list in recent years and their latest effort Afterglow is not going to change that. Album opener Fire And Ocean is an inviting slab of modern metal that still pays plenty of respect to the Swe-death of old. Mid-paced melodic riffs, cold blasts and deep bellows show In Mourning in their best light, alongside almost mystical guitar solos. You’ll forgive them for allowing the opening bars of The Grinning Mist to sound a bit like something Korn would write, when they hit full stride. Don’t take that last sentence wrong way, it’s just how it sounded to me initially. The song itself could not be further removed from the sound of the US nu-metallers. It’s filled with mournful(?) atmosphere and even thought it near’s ten-minutes in length, there’s plenty to keep the attentive extreme metal fan happy. The clean vocals are really soothing and in keeping with the genre that In Mourning calls home. The grandest example of In Mourning’s melodic death metal has to be Ashen Crown. The time-signatures jump all over the place and while the majority of the song may not sound overly groundbreaking, the lead work that provides the soaring melody is well worth waiting for. The quieter introspective string section later on it pretty good too. At this point, I wish I was sat on a deserted beach watching the waves lap against the sand. That’s how relaxed Below Rise To The Above makes me feel. The effortless way in which In Mourning switches between musical elements isn’t really a surprise, but it still highlights how proficient they are at what they do. Modern progression is key on The Lighthouse Keeper and it’s done really well. Subtle hints of djent (I’m sorry for using that horrible word) and jazz hide between swathes of more conventional doom/death. it just works really well. The Call Of Orion takes things back in more of a traditional direction (if there is such a thing) but the crooning banishes any thoughts of a formulaic effort. The title-track finishes off the album is understated style. The keys at the end sound like the voice of a siren but prove to be a clever nod to the band’s early years. In Mourning has crafted a very listenable and mature record with Afterglow. I’m a convert for sure and will definitely try to this up on vinyl soon. You could do worse than give it your time too.

Stream and purchase Afterglow digitally here:-

CD and vinyl merch packages can be purchased from Agonia Records here - https://www.agoniarecords.com

In Mourning Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/inmourningband
Agonia Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/agoniarecords