Hanging Garden - Into That Good Night (2019)

Continuing the band’s brilliant rise as one of the best Melodic/Atmospheric Doom/Gothic Metal outfits, Hanging Garden delivers their latest opus titled “Into That Good Night”. Featuring eight tracks and nearly 46 minutes of highly addictive music, the band perfectly blends elements from their heavier earlier days and their more dynamic and Gothic Metal influences of later days. Full of melancholy and expert songwriting abilities, this release is yet another highlight on their already storied career.

Opening with the playful riffs of “Of Love and Curses”, we got a certain Lacrima Profundere vibe as the more enigmatic atmospheric interludes nicely contrast the heavier parts of the song. The more traditional Melodic Doom Metal roots of the band can be found on the dreamy “Fear, Longing, Hope and the Night” which has a certain Insomnium vibe. We particularly enjoy the crafty guitar melodies and the combination of growls and clean vocal arrangements, making it a superbly catchy song.

Melancholy is certainly one of the strongest elements of this release and tracks like the album title song and the enchanting “Rain” and “Navigator” are perfect examples of this. New and permanent female vocalist, Riikka Hatakka, shines in this song, adding an extra dimension to the band’s already very versatile sound. For those thinking that there are no heavy songs in this release, “Anamnesis” is the perfect mixture of heavy and catchy with dreamy interludes and harsh screams perfectly arranged in one single song.

Closing with the highly emotional “Signs of Affection”, we are again blown away by how Hanging Garden continues to play with their core elements and create very beautiful and melancholic music with a few new additional elements. Definitely recommended for fans of bands like Swallow the Sun, Insomnium, In Mourning, etc. “Into that Good Night” a bit for everybody and a whole lot of heart packed into its eight songs.

Label: LifeForce Records

Release: November 15th, 2019

Genre: Melodic Doom/Gothic Metal

Country: Finland