After Earth continues its adventure.
Two years after their debut album, Marcus Rydstedt (vocals, Ancile, ex-Transfallen), Anton Vehkaperä (drums), Olof Öman (bass), Jonathan Ahlin (guitar), and Ludvig Andersson (guitar) unveil their second album, Dark Night of the Soul.
Shivelight introduces us to a melancholic sound that quickly becomes majestic but is sometimes corrupted by a few heavier touches before reaching the catchy groove of The Lucent Sun, an effective composition with obvious Swedish roots. The melodious leads blend naturally with the raw, jerky rhythm and Marcus‘ growls, but an acoustic break tempers things before a heavier final that leads into Skinwalker, where we have the Old School aggression contrasted by slower passages that contribute to a more ethereal atmosphere. The rhythm accelerates into a sharp solo, then the ferocious roots eventually calm down before joining the impressive Dark Night of the Soul, the eponymous composition whose orchestrations darken the atmosphere before igniting once again. The Gothenburg touch is perfectly evident on this track, but the backing vocals give it a rather special flavor, punctuating the waves of rage before letting go on the vindictive Destitution, which plays with a catchy blast beat. The riffs remain fairly simple, but they will be perfect for bringing the crowd together on stage, while King From Within welcomes us with a touch of anxiety before moving on to a more effective and lively base that allows the vocalist to deliver regular heavy tones, as well as that distant and anguished scream before the massive break. We continue with Throe, a fairly Death/Grind-oriented track that is almost joyful, which will re-motivate us and make us bang our heads, then Serfitude lets us catch our breath for a moment before setting off again, first at a frantic pace, then at cruising speed, skillfully placing more shrill touches. The harmonics are obviously not far away, waiting for the choruses to fully express themselves, but the song manages its progression perfectly, joining The Queen Who Wept, which starts off at full speed and takes us on its charge, without forgetting its sometimes slightly more heady touch. The song has everything it takes to become one of the band’s next anthems, as it begs to be chanted, then the air grows heavy with the funeral introduction of ‘Til Daylight Dies, followed by its suffocating rhythm, which becomes more raw and jerky at times, but also reserves a few much calmer moments for us, bordering on Doom/Death. The track takes advantage of its length to hypnotize us before letting From the Ashes slowly captivate us in turn, finally exploding without warning, giving us a few last dynamic waves that are sure to make us want to move as well.
If their first album was already very successful, After Earth shows us with Dark Night of the Soul that it was absolutely not a fluke! Their Swedish roots hit the mark every time, and not banging your head during the most virulent passages is mission impossible.
90/100