HANGING GARDEN · Isle Of Bliss | CD

Jewelcase CD.

Background information about 'Isle Of Bliss'

Hanging Garden have been quietly building one of the most consistently stunning catalogues in modern Finnish metal, and "Isle Of Bliss" – their ninth full-length – is the sound of a band operating at the absolute peak of their powers. From the very first notes of "To Outlive The Nine Ravens", you can feel it: this is doom metal that breathes, that aches, that reaches for something almost ethereal rather than simply burying you in heaviness. The dual vocal approach of Toni Hatakka's deep growls and Riikka Hatakka's soaring cleans has never sounded more dialed-in, weaving grief and beauty into the same breath.

What sets this record apart is how effortlessly it moves between crushing weight and shimmering melody. Tracks like "Eternal Trees Of Turquoise" and the title cut "Isle Of Bliss" are practically overflowing with anthemic, melodic death metal hooks, while "To The Gates Of Hel" and "The Blights Nine" drag you down into slower, more suffocating territory. The keyboards and piano from Nino Hynninen add this gorgeous, melancholic glow across the whole thing, and the twin-guitar work of Mikko Kolari and Kimmo Tukiainen is simply gorgeous. "Beneath The Fallen Sky" closes things out with a sweeping, widescreen finale that'll have you reaching for the repeat button before the final chord even fades. This is the kind of album that rewards deep, attentive listening – headphones on, lights low, let it wash over you.

For fans of:
Swallow the Sun, Insomnium, Ghost Brigade, October Tide, Katatonia

Track listing

1. To Outlive The Nine Ravens
2. Eternal Trees Of Turquoise
3. Isle Of Bliss
4. To The Gates Of Hel
5. The Death Upon Our Shoulders
6. The Blights Nine
7. Arise, Black Sun
8. Her Waning Light
9. Beneath The Fallen Sky

Manufacturer: Agonia Records, P. O. Box 273, 64-920 Pila 1, Poland, Contact: agoniarecords.com