I have to admit that I dislike the marketing style in which a band releases several singles before the album launch. The debut from Cemetery Skyline saw five singles released before its upcoming October 11th launch date, and I feel like hearing all of those songs in advance has lessened the impact of the album as a whole. The record is called Nordic Gothic and is being released through Century Media Records.
Cemetery Skyline is something of a supergroup. Normally, I’m not a fan of supergroups, simply because their musical output never matches the hype, but I think this is an exception to that rule, mostly. The lineup includes Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquility, The Halo Effect, Grand Cadaver) on vocals, Markus Vanhala (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, I Am The Night) on guitars, Santeri Kallio (Amorphis) on keys, Victor Brandt (Dimmu Borgir and more) on bass, and Vesa Ranta (Sentenced) on drums.
The band is quite forthcoming with what they wanted to accomplish here: they wanted to visit the much-neglected gothic metal genre. Gothic metal at one time was very popular and I would say reached a point of over-saturation, but these days it is rare to see a true gothic metal album that doesn’t also have death metal or some other spin. The band makes it clear that they are influenced by Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative, and so that’s the music they wanted to make.
They succeeded in that regard, certainly. The music here is dark and haunting with hints of religious imagery and ritual. There is a potent sense of style and flow that is undeniably beautiful and hypnotic, too. I would say that they do sound like their influences to some degree, less commercial than Sisters of Mercy and less seductive than Type O Negative. And there is, of course, the presence of Mikael’s instantly recognizable vocals (minus the harsh vox), and so Dark Tranquility and his other projects hover over the whole affair. I’ll admit, though, that I really don’t like the way he pronounces “fire” (that’s a joke, kinda).
But why do I need to tell you what they sound like? They’ve released half the album already as singles. There are ten songs, and five of them are in the wild already. And here’s the thing: I really like them. “Violent Storm” is one of my favorite songs of the year with its incredibly catchy chorus and smooth vocal performance, and I like “In Darkness”, with its terrific central riff and atmospheric beauty, almost just as well. I’d throw “Behind the Lie” in with those two, as it’s another favorite; I love how it’s a little darker and more dramatic than the others. “Torn Away” and “The Coldest Heart” are both rock solid, fun tracks, too.
Having heard all of those before I even received the promo, though, the effect is lessened. The album already feels like familiar territory, and I don’t think most of the remaining five songs are as good as the singles. I mean, the first four songs on the album are all singles with “The Coldest Heart” coming in later. If you are expecting anything different and more sophisticated in the other songs, you’ll be disappointed. In fact, most people could probably just skip listening to the whole album altogether since the singles are the most interesting songs by far.
The remaining five songs are good, don’t get me wrong. “When Silence Speaks” is probably the weakest song on the album; it doesn’t have the riffs or catchiness to grab hold of me, and most of it just floats along pleasantly. It’s fine. “The Darkest Night” is probably the next weakest, feeling like a lesser version of some of the singles. “Never Look Back” has a nice guitar lick that draws me in, but it doesn’t do anything overly exciting, either. These three are the middle of the album, and I do feel like them being clustered together breaks the energy they’ve built.
The final two songs on the album are a little better. “Anomalie” is a good tune with some edge and an immersive second half. I’ll admit that I think of Incubus’ “Anna Molly” every time I hear it, though. The closer “Alone Together” is the only non-single that I feel stands tall. It is the longest track on the album and revels in its gothic, atmospheric style. It really does remind me of a Type O Negative song with the soaring guitars in the background and thoughtful pace. It’s a really good ending.
Look, Cemetery Skyline’s debut is rock solid. There isn’t a bad song on it, though some don’t hit the same highs as others. Still, I’ll admit that I was planning to buy this on vinyl, but now I’m not. It’ll be interesting to see if my opinion changes over time. I don’t know if I was expecting some of the deeper cuts to be more epic and dramatic, or maybe more cinematic and complex. I’m not sure. The album has some great songs, though, and starving gothic metal fans need to hear it.
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The PROG Mind 