Waves of hope and sorrow - A review of Daylight Dies' Dismantling Devotion

Daylight Dies is an American quintet that combines atmospheric doom metal with melodic death metal stylistics in the key of Katatonia and Opeth at the heights of their careers. How come I had never heard of this band until recently? The answer is quite simple since the group hasn't released any new music in more than six years now. Dismantling Devotion is a timeless record however and has therefore aged quite well.

The key element behind this gripping record is its floating, gloomy and mysterious atmosphere. The riffs can be chugging, melancholic and slow at one moment but are then contrasted by much faster, meaner and more vivid passages. These contrasts also work well for the rhythm section that can be smooth and laid back at one moment just to accelerate and push rapidly into the foreground. The band also works with two vocalists. The band has a slightly bigger focus on the lead singer's passionate growls but the bassist's uplifting clean vocals offer some hopeful notes on a record filled with despair. The main focus lies on the instrumental work anyway that invites the listener to close his eyes immerse himself in a world of darkness to dream himself far away. Therefore it is useless to point out any particular songs since the sum is greater than its parts.

There are only two minor elements to criticize in my opinion. First of all, some tracks offer unnecessary fade-outs instead of leading fluently into one another which is something I have never appreciated. Secondly, a few songs slightly overstay their welcome and end up being somewhat repetitive instrumentally. Most songs could have been cut down by a minute or two to sound more diverifsied, efficient and fresh.

Still, if you like melodic doom and melodic death metal, Daylight Dies is a band you should be familiar with and Dismantling Devotion is rightfully considered a highlight in the band's career. The album was recently released again in a highly recommendable boxed set called The Candlelight Years with Lost to the Living as well as A Frail Becoming. If you're looking for a similar band of great quality that is still actively releasing music, give Black Crown Initiate a try.

Final rating: 90%