In Mourning - The Weight Of Oceans (2012)

I must say it’s been a while since I’ve come across a band with such incredible and refreshing sounds of the progressive death metal genre. All the way from Fulen, Sweden, comes the band In Mourning who has recently released their newest album, entitled “The Weight Of Oceans.” This is the bands third full length studio album. It’s got everything from monstrous growls to angelic clean singing and reaches out to all metal heads musically. You’ll find wicked solos along with cut throat breakdowns and exploding drum rolls.

The album opens with “Colossus” as eerie keyboards glide in. Catchy drum fills take over the background as you’ll find yourself bobbing your head to the rhythm. This is followed by a thumping bass line with groovy tones making this intro irresistible. A basic guitar melody fades in keeping the music calm and soothing. After about two minutes in, melodic guitars come in with heavy distortion. As you’re swept off your feet with this gorgeous sound, you will find it hard to get up when vicious chugging guitars come through and completely beat you into the ground. Domination growling vocals jump in delivering a phenomenal performance. Following the structure of the song and the many pieces of guitar riffs that are mashed together, the band definitely has strong similarities to Insomnium. The refrains are built with strong guitar riffs, relentless drum rolls, and monstrous growls. You will find it hard to move on to the next track as you replay this song over and over again.

The tempo picks up with “A Vow To Conquer The Ocean.” Chomping guitar riffs chug away while you’re hit with consistent snare and cymbal patterns. The vocals waste no time as they jump right in with punishing growls that echo throughout the verse. The guitars split up the song between raging hammered guitar riffs and soft melodic riffs that almost play as a clean singing vocal. You’ll have each melody stuck in your head for days. The song really jumps around from violent guitars at high speeds to calm tempos with cry guitar riffs. On top of all of the high flying solos and melodies, they also manage to provide you with a beast of a break down towards the end of the song. Shattering cymbals and fast chugging guitars blast away. You won’t be able to help but to bash your head to this one. More growls echo throughout the rest of the song ending things on a powerful note.

“Celestial Tear” opens with a soft melody that shines by itself with basic and yet beautiful sound. Angelic clean singing vocals step in with gorgeous lyrics and soothing tones. The deliver is a lot like Jonas Renkse of Katatonia. The song contains deep lyrics which you should definitely check out. Mellow guitars take over the background as they help guide the vocals throughout the song. After having some time to catch your breath, “Convergence” takes it away with its deathly growls and fast pace guitar riffs. The drums pound you into the ground with exploding riffs and shining cymbals that brighten up the background. What you’ll notice about the vocals is that although they are aggressive growls, the lyrics are still decently clear to understand. The tempo of the guitar slows down to a depressive beat in the middle of the song allowing the growls to really roar with deep bass. This eight and a half minute masterpiece ends with a progressive guitar melody that gives of a psychedelic vibe towards the end. This is followed by “Sirens” which is a ravishing piano instrumental that paints a captivating image with its sad and yet beautiful melodies.

Songs like “Isle Of Solace” and “The Drowning Sun” Give you everything you want in a death metal album. The vocals are incredible as you’ll find their sound different in certain part of each track. They go from death metal growling to wicked black metal screams. It definitely keeps things refreshing. Besides that you’re met with wild guitar riffs and crazy melodic solos that will take your breathe away. On top of that, the drum rolls become even more detailed as they continue to beat you into the ground. The album comes to a close with “Voyage Of A Weaving Mind” which displays a solid mix of vicious guitar chugging and booming drum rolls that completely destroy the background. Devilish vocals finish you off with powerful growls that’ll make you shit yourself. This is definitely the way to end such a perfect album.

“The Weight Of Oceans” is the kind of album that you keep on repeat and could listen to for hour on end. There are no bad tracks or tracks that you need to skip. Each song delivers a unique sound and has its own special something that helps it stand out. This is progressive melodic metal done right. If you’re looking for an album that will blow your mind, this is the album that’ll do it.

9/10

Official Site - http://www.inmourning.net/
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/in_mourning