Trees of Eternity – Hour of the Nightingale (2016)

Hands down the most emotionally draining album of 2016 has to be Trees of Eternity’s debut full-length release “Hour of the Nightingale”. Filled with lush Atmospheric/Gothic Doom songs, this release is nearly as emotional as its back story. After a few years in limbo and a bit too late for some, released under Svart records, this release will definitely crawl up under your skin and fill you with melancholy.

Opening with Swallow the Sun-esque heavy riffs, “My Requiem” sets the listener into an emotional journey for over 62 minutes of unparalleled melancholy. As the band’s singer Aleah Stanbridge first showcases her vocal talents, the music quickly becomes even darker and more emotive. Unluckily for the world, Aleah’s talents will no longer be present as she passed before the release of this album. However, her presence in this release at least shines light of her talents and dedication to the band.

Completely written by Aleah and Juha Raivio of Swallow the Sun fame, this release indeed has some STS elements thrown into the mix, but with a heavier emphasis on vocal melodies of atmosphere. The lineup is rounded up by master drummer Kai Hahto (Wintersun, Nightwish-live) and ex-Katatonia’s Norrman brothers. All this talent is very efficiently used on demoralizing tracks like the bone-chilling “Eye of Night”, “A Million Tears” and “Hour of the Nightingale”.

With a few guest appearances in this release, the duets between Mick Moss (Antimatter) / Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost) and Aleah make songs like “Condemned to Silence” and “Gallows Bird” even more magical and melancholic. The guitar work features a combination of Swallow the Sun and October Tide-styled riffs that perfectly blend with the overall atmospheric approach of songs like “The Passage”, “Broken Mirror” and “Black Ocean”, all of which are perfectly rounded up by Kai’s skillful drumming.

As one of the most powerful tracks in this album, “Sinking Ships” sends shivers down our spine every time we listen to it on our headphones with the lights dimmed down. Rounding out the package, we have the artwork done by Fursy Teyssier, making this release be one of the must have albums of 2016. As one of the finest examples of Atmospheric Doom Metal music, “Hour of the Nightingale” is one of those releases that will creep on you from multiple angles and leave you completely intoxicated by its melancholic beauty.

Label: Svart Records

Release: November 11th, 2016

Genre: Atmospheric Doom Metal

Country: Finland / Sweden