Sorrowful Land awakens for its third album.
Created in Ukraine in 2014 by multi-instrumentalist Max Molodtsov (all instruments/vocals, Blessdivine, Mistyfica), the project announces the release of Faded Anchors Of The Past on Black Lion Records in 2023.
As Long as We Breathe opens the doors of a soaring and melancholic universe with Pierre Laube (Doomed, P.H.A.I.L., ex-Somnus Aeternus), bringing together screams, mysterious clea, vocals, striking harmonics and a heavy rhythmic on a rather slow tempo. The majestic and hypnotic rhythmic also welcomes some piercing leads before letting Faded Anchor Of The Past, the eponymous track, amaze us with the Swedish singer Henrik Ekholm (Hadriel, ex-Within the Fall), giving it a more soothing touch without denying the most abrasive parts. The sound leads us slowly to The Cold Gray Fog Of Dawn where Henrik is joined by Stefan Nordström (Soliloquium, Desolator, Ashes of Life…) for an emotionally intense and rich duet accompanied by an accessible and heady rhythmic. The track is quite short, and it kindly drives us on Small Lost Moments where Kaivan Saraei and Miguel Santos of the Portuguese band A Dream of Poe help the musician to develop his melancholy through dissonant and haunting riffs. The long composition slowly sails in darkness by sometimes strengthening itself, whether it is by waves of double kick or on vocals to let As I Behold Them Once Again take over, leaving the creator alone in front of his heavy riffs, mixing piercing melodies and heavy rhythmic while incorporating saturated vocals and intriguing words before Where The Sullen Waters Flow unveils oppressive tones, especially with this worrying violin, followed by a sea of sullen and dark sounds. Leads will sometimes ignite the atmosphere with lively accelerations, followed by The Night Is Darkening Around Me which will slow the tempo down to build more solemn tones, accompanied by a more raw jerky basis. The heavy sound barely calms down before an intense final, then When Oceans Calm will offer us a moment of softness alongside haunting waves and airy keyboards.
Sorrowful Land lets us sail between all the facets of Doom. Faded Anchors Of The Past goes from dark and oppressive riffs to epic leads accompanied by an intense vocal richness, creating a catchy and soaring rhythm.
90/100