Sweden's In Mourning get a lot of press as the 'heir apparent to Opeth' now that Michael Akerfeldt & Co. have moved away from death metal into straight prog-rock territory. Afterglow is the latest Agonia Records release from In Mourning, a strong album that sees the band once again permeating their melodic death metal attack with lots of tones, textures, and colors, incorporating doom, folk, prog, and avant-garde elements, making it an easy recommendation for any fan of Opeth's early work.
From the crushing yet melodic riffs, intricate drum work, and menacing growls of "Fire and Ocean" to the highly textured and atmospheric "The Grinning Mist", it's apparent that this isn't your older brothers death metal, but a much more sophisticated take on the genre. Many of the tracks here are quite lengthy, allowing for the band to really incorporate all the many styles on display. Clean vocals interject with the growls on "Ashen Crown", supported by ominous atmospheric sections as well as death metal bombast, and the spooky "Below Rise to the Above" builds and builds in intensity, featuring some of the heaviest riffs on the album. Of course, it doesn't get much better than "The Lighthouse Keeper", a full on assault of sledgehammer riffing, symphonic passages, and some venomous growls, and some lush Opeth-meets-Anathema sections are dropped into the otherwise pummeling "The Call to Orion". If that ain't enough, the closing title track sees the band go into full-on doom mode, a moody, lumbering number featuring massive riffs, creepy keys, and haunting vocals.
Whether you care to make the Opeth comparison or not, there's no denying that Afterglow is a very strong progressive death metal album from these Swedes that pushes all the right buttons. I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more from In Mourning over the coming months!
Track Listing
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
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