Let’s take it track by track:
“Last Dawn” is an excellent choice for the opening track because it’s a really good song. In terms of quality, it can easily stand alongside the work of some of the world’s leading bands in this genre. The chorus strongly reminds me of “Heart Like a Grave” by Insomnium. The guitar solo is excellent as well.
“Fading Memory” once again brings me the atmosphere of Finnish melodic death metal bands like Insomnium and Wintersun. In fact, I’m pretty sure these bands have influenced Vanessa as well. A really interesting track that never gets boring.
“Coherence” begins with gentle synth pads that transition into classic melodic death metal in the style of In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. Beautiful melodic riffs, along with brief changes in direction and sections featuring piano in the background and whispered vocals.
“Infinite Skies” blends melodic death metal with atmospheric black metal to some extent. A decent track, but nothing spectacular. A good song nonetheless.
“Dead Souls” opens with acoustic guitars and carries a truly epic sense of emotion, reminiscent of some of the great folk metal bands like Ensiferum.
It’s a highly energetic song, with powerful growls and a beautiful acoustic section in the middle that hints at the final storm or the battle yet to come (at least, that’s the picture that formed in my mind while listening to this track).
One of my favorite songs on the album.
“Death’s Hand” is a classic melodic death metal track that doesn’t impress me all that much, mainly because I’m still under the spell of the preceding song, “Dead Souls.”
“Empty Heart” is a slow, ballad-like track. Vanessa’s beautiful clean vocals and the overall atmosphere make this song feel like a welcome break from the sheer energy that characterizes the album.
It’s a beautiful song, and it’s placed exactly where it belongs in the tracklist. It reveals a gentler side of this artist.
“Into The Night” has a soft piano intro that gradually transforms into melodic black metal reminiscent of the Scottish black metal band Saor, accompanied by some incredibly powerful blast beats. The more I listen to this track, the more it reminds me of Saor’s song “Bron.”
Either way, it’s an excellent way to close the album. “Into The Night” is also one of my favorite tracks on the record.
My rating: 9/10