Release date: 17th August 2018
Holy crap. I haven’t gotten this excited about a melodeath/doom album in a long time. Although it’s my first insight into the band, Waiting For The Endless Dawn is actually the sixth album from The Eternal, and it showcases a well-established band that have perfected the art of writing absolutely stunning music.
The darkness juxtaposing against the beautiful melodies is one of the elements that makes the music so good, and the spine-tinglingly good vocals add a lot of extra body and depth to the album – both the harsh and clean styles are delivered to a very high standard, which is exactly what you want from a release like this.
One of the strongest tracks is fourth track I Lie In Wait, which has stunning layered vocals, some seriously impressive violin lines and solos (which give the music a My Dying Bride vibe at times – not a bad thing at all!) and a crushing wall of guitars that pack a serious punch. Indeed, the violin solo at the end of the song in particular is something to behold.
Another highlight is penultimate song In The Lilac Dusk. Atmospheric at first, the instrumentation paints a colourful and beautiful picture as the scene is set – and then when a fuller, heavier sound kicks in, playing the same melody as the section before, it hits you like a tonne of bricks in the best possible way. The track even features guest vocals from Kuolemanlaakso’s singer Mikko, as well, which can only be a good thing, and his vocals add an extra sparkle to the already-incredible track.
If you’re looking for something to blow you away, look no further than Waiting For The Endless Dawn. This is a truly exceptional piece of work.
10/10
