Cemetery Skyline - Nordic Gothic (2024)

Unleashing one of the catchiest and most engaging releases of 2024, today we have Gothic Rock supergroup Cemetery Skyline and their debut release “Nordic Gothic”. Featuring a line-up with Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity), Markus Vanhala (Omnium Gatherum), Santeri Kallio (Amorphis), Victor Brandt (Dimmu Borgir) and Vesa Ranta (Sentenced), this outfit delivers a very refreshing synthwave-infused 80’s/90’s music unlike anything you have ever heard before. For fans of Depeche Mode, Lacrimas Profundere, End of Green, etc. this release features ten bangers that will be stuck in your head for days.

The release starts with the bombastic “Torn Away” and its dramatic synths that create a very dynamic and engaging atmosphere. Mikael Stanne’s deeper clean vocals have a certain Ville Valo-esque undertones, but as soon as the chorus section hits, Stanne’s trademark sound appears. Keeping things super lively, “In Darkness” delivers some crunchy Markus Vanhala riffs alongside crafty drumming from Vesa Ranta, the band is showcased having endless fun creating some superbly catchy melodies, and some epic vocal arrangements.

One of the album’s standout tracks has to be the dreamy “Violent Storm” and its soaring vocal melodies. This is nicely followed by the epic “Behind the Line”, which gives a bit of a more melodic and Gothic version of a Dark Tranquillity song. On the power ballad side we have “When Silence Speaks” and “Never Look Back”, delivering a nice change in tempo, while “The Darkness Night” answers the question of how Amorphis would sound with Mikael Stanne on vocals (hint: totally awesome).

Unleashing some heavy headbanging vibes, “The Coldest Heart” shows yet another side to the band’s sound with a different vocal performance by Mikael, and some hearty riffs by Markus. Closing with the dramatic “Alone Together”, we are left quite impressed on how good Cemetery Skyline sounds with a dark and timeless sound that is both familiar and fresh at the same time. Each member of the band is top notch at their trade and “Nordic Gothic” perfectly exploits this to create a very Gothic medley of sounds. We can’t wait to see these guys live in the future.

Label: Century Media

Release: October 11th, 2024

Genre: Gothic Rock

Country: International