Hanging Garden only released their fourth album last year, but they’re already back with a brand new EP and it’s am excellent listen to boot.
After being seriously impressed by their last album, I had high hopes for this (especially as it features guest vocals from the singer of one of my favourite bands, Kuolemanlaakso!) and Hanging Garden didn’t disappoint. Each of the five tracks leaves a sizeable impression on you and the fact the band chose to use guest vocalists to add an extra vocal line to the music helps to switch things up and keep it interesting.
The EP opens with Penumbra, which had previously been revealed as a single, and it’s a strong opening to the release. The two different styles within the track work well, with the heaviness juxtaposing well against the softer, more melodic aspects, and it sets the scene well for what the listener can expect from the rest of the release – and of course, it’s always nice to hear the smooth and controlled vocal style of Kotamäki in both the clean and harsh sections!
However, the strongest track of the album is the fourth track, Where The Tides Collide. There’s an inexplicable urgency to the instrumentation, giving the song a real drive, and the vocals are out of this world – the chorus is spine-tinglingly good and it’s difficult not to want to sing along to it after a few listens! It’s a track that is surely destined to be stuck in your head and the emotion within the song itself is stunning.
All in all, a fantastic EP. Hanging Garden are consistently good and Hereafter is testament to this. Already excited to see what they’ll cook up next!
9/10
