- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Creating a very unique and ethereal release, today we have Jonathan Hultén (ex-Tribulation) and his sophomore release “Eyes of the Living Night”. Perfectly blending dreamy pop and grunge elements with dark rock and ambient passages, this release creates a very engaging and playful atmosphere that while has not much to do with his early Metal days, it does deliver some excellent guitar work and crafty arrangements. Setting a very dystopian vibe with the opener “The Saga And The Storm” and its lush atmospherics, we get a certain Hexvessel-meets-Chelsea Wolfe vibe. This opener leads to more ethereal pieces like “Afterlife” with its pastoral/synth pop elements and the dark folkness of “Falling Mirages” and its lush acoustic guitars. The baritone vocals are always front and center and in pieces like “Riverflame” they deliver raw and unfiltered emotion, perfectly paired with subtle catchiness. With some ROME and King Dude elements, songs like “Song Of Transience” and “Through The Fog, Into The Sky” have a nice dark edge to them while being quite engaging and diverse. There are even some Americana elements thrown into the mix as tracks like “Dawn” fully unravel, showcasing the wide palette of sounds that Jonathan explores throughout this very emotive release. The closer “Starbather” is definitely our favorite song thanks to its retro vibe and dreamy atmospheric work. As a whole, “Eyes of the Living Night” showcases the many influences of Jonathan Hultén in a very cohesive and nicely evolving way. Each track has its own magic as they explore different genres and styles, but they all have lush melancholic undertones that keep this release focused and engaging. If you are looking for something with a bit of a retro edge and with tons of non-Metal ideas, this will certainly keep you entertained as you peel each layer that it features. |
Band: Jonathan Hultén | Album: Eyes of the Living Night |
Label: K Scope |
Release: January 31st, 2025 |
Homepage | |
Genre: Dark Rock/Pop / Ambient |
Country: Sweden |
Rating: 92/100 |