Published: April 6, 2015

It does not take genius to figure out that Atten Ash founder James Greene is a fan of Daylight Dies. He and the band hail from the same state (North Carolina), play a form of emotive, melancholy death/doom metal, and to top things off, he recruited current Daylight Dies guitarist Barre Gambling to play guitars and keyboards on the band’s debut album, The Hourglass.  And while the line between  rip off and homage is clearly blurry here, Atten Ash‘s rendering of a pretty specific style and influence is so well done, you can’t help admire the project’s dedication.

Although this album was actually self released back in 2012, it’s getting a nice re-release through the appropriately named Hypnotic Dirge Records, and immediately gives the small Canadian based label a real game changer that should put the label on the map. Not only because of the obvious Daylight Dies ties, but because The Hour Glass is a damn fine album that holds up essentially 3 years later.

With Greene providing smooth clean croons along with the deep, harsh growls of Archie Hunt, and some subtle keyboards, the mood is appropriately despondent, while providing ample depth and doomy/death metal girth. The riffs ebb and flow with emotion while the Daylight Dies, distinctly Finnish strains (Rapture namely) and other noticeable Scandinavian influences (Katatonia, October Tide, etc) of somber lead guitars dance morosely over each moment, providing plenty of gorgeous, but saddening atmospherics.

No track really leaps out or commands your attention, but rather the album’s 50 minute entirely reels you in with it’s its finely crafted sense of mournful hues delivered with sullen crunches and gloomy leads. That being said, the likes of “Born” and little more direct “Waves of Siloam” or the more rending “See You…Never” “Not as Others Were” and lengthy, sullen closing title track all certainly showcase the trio’s craft adeptly. Delicate acoustics and clean segues litter the materials cleaner moments (i.e “Song for the Dead”, “First Day”) but they never overstay or drag on.

Those waiting for For Daylight Dies , who certainly are not prolific, to release a follow up to 2012s A Frail Becoming, could do no worse than this release as it’s a perfect ringer to keep their place warm, but gloomy.