Buried Realm is back with The Dormant Darkness, its fourth album.
It took just over two years for creator Josh Dummer (vocals/all instruments), assisted by Heikki Saari (drums, Finntroll, Crownshift, ex-Norther), Francesco Ferrini (orchestrations, Fleshgod Apocalypse), Ronnie Björnström (mix/mastering, Blood Red Throne, Bodyfarm, Centinex, Nightrage, Paganizer, Sorcerer… ) and Dan Goldsworthy (artwork, Aborted, Cradle of Filth, Inhuman Condition, Orden Ogan, Sylosis…).
The album opens with Bloodline Artifice, where the musicians are joined by Christian Älvestam (Aortha, Cipher System, ex-Scar Symmetry…) and Dean Arnold (Primalfrost, ex-Vital Remains) on vocals, creating diversity and aggression at every turn. Regular vocal eruptions still allow the guitarist to lay down his cutting leads before Futuristic Hollow Nation takes over, inviting Christian to howl once again, as well as Christopher Amott (Black Earth, ex-Arch Enemy, ex-Dark Tranquillity) for furious solos. The orchestrations are much more prominent on this track, making it menacing yet majestic before its final, closely followed by Human Code where Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra) lend a hand. The track is extremely catchy and also allows itself some interesting harmonics, as on A Futile Endeavor, where Josh‘s guitar is joined by Daniel Freyberg’s one (Crownshift, ex-Children of Bodom, ex-Bodom After Midnight) to complete the composition’s obvious fury. Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II follows, bringing back Björn “Speed” Strid and accentuating the orchestrations once again, making the track both very rhythmic and unifying, before moving on to Ophidian Dreams, an instrumental creation where Josh aligns his riffs and melodies in a very coherent and above all interesting way, a rare thing for me who has trouble with exclusively instrumental tracks. After a moment’s respite, the vocals reappear on Jaws of the Abyss, where Christian Älvestam returns to place his voice once again to accompany the ship’s captain on the longest and most accessible of the tracks, but also on the eponymous The Dormant Darkness, where they are joined by Gus G (Firewind, ex-Dream Evil, ex-Ozzy Osbourne) who gives powerful touches to the leads of this epic composition that closes the album.
Buried Realm is a well-rehearsed project that constantly navigates between Technical Death and Melodic Death without ever denying one or the other, and that knows how to take advantage of its guests’ abilities to make The Dormant Darkness an excellent album. A must-have if you’re a fan of both styles!
95/100
A few questions to Josh Dummer, creator and thinking head of the Technical/Melodic Death Metal project Buried Realm, for the release of his new album, The Dormant Darkness.
Hello Josh, and first of all thank you very much for your time! How could you introduce the band Buried Realm without using the usual Metal genres, such as “Death Metal” or its subgenres?
Josh Dummer: Hey, thank you too… I would say the music navigates through layers of aggression and melody, offering a dynamic range that moves from blistering intensity to moments of haunting, melodic beauty.
Do you remember where does the name Buried Realm comes from, and how do you link it to your project’s music?
Josh: There isn’t a specific “theme” or “message” behind the name. I came up with it many years ago and just thought it sounded cool.
The band is about to release its fourth album The Dormant Darkness. How do you feel about it? Do you already have any feedback?
Josh: I’m really excited. I think this album pushes a lot of boundaries for me compared to the previous Buried Realm albums, in terms of songwriting and physical capabilities. The response has been positive so far. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.
How would you sum The Dormant Darkness’ identity up in only three words?
Josh: “The,” “Dormant” and “Darkness” seem fitting, haha… If I had to describe the identity of The Dormant Darkness in just three words, I’d go with “nocturnal,” “ferocious” and “haunting.” The album carries a dark and mysterious atmosphere, with moments of chaos balanced by cinematic, lingering melodies.
How did the creation process happen for The Dormant Darkness? Did it evolve with time, as your first album came out in 2017?
Josh: I started writing immediately after the self-titled album came out around the summer of 2022. It took some time to piece all the songs together. Initially, the release was intended to be an EP with only about five songs. While Heikki was tracking drums for those, I ended up writing two more and said, “Hey dude, so, I have two more songs…” Then, when he started tracking those, it happened again—this time with just one more, haha. That last song was Jaws of the Abyss, by which point Christian had already contributed to three tracks. We had talked about writing music together for another project, so we used this opportunity to ‘test the waters,’ so to speak. Thankfully, Heikki was on board, and what started as an EP ultimately became a full-length album.
The band’s sound is of course anchored between Melodic and Technical Death Metal, but how do you manage to create your own touch?
Josh: I just write what feels natural.
Do you have a favorite song on this album? Or maybe the hardest one to achieve.
Josh: I don’t have a favorite song, but I have fond memories of the album coming together. For example, aside from the incredible guest musicians—some of whom were my musical heroes as a teen—friends and followers of Buried Realm contributed gang vocals on the title track. That was a special moment for me. Human Code was the most demanding song to track from a guitarist’s perspective.
Where do you find your inspiration to create music? Is there a concept on The Dormant Darkness?
Josh: I’ve always had melodies or rhythmic ideas floating around in my head, and turning those fragments into full songs is always an exciting challenge. The process is rewarding, and the end result is usually satisfying. There is a concept behind The Dormant Darkness, but much like the other Buried Realm albums, the lyrics are often metaphorical rather than strictly literal—if that makes sense. I find this approach paints a more intriguing picture. In the end, I like listeners to connect with the music in their own way and interpret it through their own experiences.
Do you think you improved yourself as a musician and songwriter with this new record?
Josh: I think so.
There are many guests on the album, whether it is for just a song or the whole album, like Heikki Saari and Francesco Ferrini. How did you collaborate with them, and how did you ask the new ones to join the team?
Josh: Well, this is the second album with Heikki on drums. We enjoyed working together on the last one, so bringing him back was a no-brainer. The process has been incredibly smooth. Going into this album, I knew I wanted to incorporate more orchestration, and Francesco is a genius in that department. I sent him the songs to see if he was interested, and thankfully, he was. He re-recorded some of my synth ideas with improved effects for a lot of the songs and also composed the orchestration. I approached the other guests the same way I did with Francesco—sharing the music with them and seeing if they were interested. They were, and everything came together naturally.
The band worked again with Ronnie Björnström on mix/mastering and Dan Goldsworthy on the artwork, did they have guidelines?
Josh: I’ve known Ronnie and Dan for quite a while now. They’re both laid-back and super easy to work with. The process, though, was stretched out. First, Ronnie and I tested several guitar amps and different mixes for a few songs that were already finished in early 2024. We thought we had a good mix “template” going, but when we returned months later to properly mix the entire album, we ended up changing quite a lot—different guitar amps, different drum mixes, and so on. This was primarily because the later songs introduced more layers, requiring adjustments to make room for them. Dan and I started brainstorming ideas for the artwork nearly a year before he began the actual piece. Both of them are great guys and incredibly patient with me, haha.
The Dormant Darkness is again an independent release, how do you manage everything by yourself? Would you be okay about a cooperation with a label?
Josh: It can definitely be a lot to handle! That said, it’s gotten easier with experience—not only from working on four Buried Realm albums, but also with Circaic and Frozen Eternity. I wouldn’t say “no” to a label’s offer, as long as it made sense. Right now, though, I don’t see a need for one.
Buried Realm is your solo project, but would you consider playing live one day, maybe with hired musicians?
Josh: Yeah! I’ve considered it many, many times. We’ll see if the day ever comes.
Before Buried Realm, you also had another band, called Frozen Eternity (now Circaic), what difference do you see between creating music alone and with other people.
Josh: Frozen Eternity started as a two-person band, where I wrote the music and the other person recorded the vocals. That process pretty much carried over into Circaic, so it doesn’t feel all that different from creating music for Buried Realm.
What will happen in the next months for Buried Realm?
Josh: Continued promotion for the album with more singles and videos. Be ready!
Are there any musicians or artists you would still like to collaborate with in the future for Buried Realm? Whether it is for one song, or maybe more.
Josh: It would be really cool to work with Marty Friedman. I’m a big fan of the Marty Friedman era of Megadeth, Cacophony, and of course, his solo stuff.
If you had to organize a concert for The Dormant Darkness release show, which bands would you love to play with? I let you create a poster with Buried Realm and three other bands! Even unrealistic answers are accepted.
Josh: Buried Realm, Into Eternity, Old Man’s Child, Bloodbath. Sounds like a crazy night!!!
Last and funny question: which dish would you compare Buried Realm’s music with?
Josh: Haha, maybe something like a decadent dark chocolate cake with spices and unexpected layers.
That was the last question for me, so thank you very much for your time and your music for all those years, last words are yours!
Josh: Thank you very much for always taking time to listen to the music and chat. Until next time…