It’s tricky to pick the last album to review this year before we all dive into top lists and rankings for the holidays. This is the perfect chance to explore some of the more discreet releases that might otherwise get drowned out by the noise. When I first checked out Against I‘s Songs for the Dying, two opposing thoughts crossed my mind: “It looks like Brave Murder Day, but it can’t be that good”, and also, “It can’t be produced that poorly either”. With that calculated, almost sociopathic train of thought, I put Songs for the Dying on. Let me tell you if it delivered.
Well, Songs for the Dying is much more fun than I expected—I won’t lie. It transported me back to the golden age of Melodic Death Metal. I know we’ve had some revivals lately, but dramatic, sorrowful Melodic Death Metal just isn’t as common anymore. The quality of the hooks in Songs for the Dying is undeniable. None of the tracks overstay their welcome; each knows exactly what it is from start to finish. It reminded me of Children of Bodom, but without being a closeted Power Metal band. There’s a mean yet well-balanced aggression here. It’s the kind of album for your wimpy friend who can’t quite get into the heavier stuff but still wants to try.
Songs for the Dying embraces the usual tropes of classic MeloDeath: guitars exploring every cold and angry melody you can think of, solid bass and drum work without going over the top, and mid-range growls (with a few extra Death Metal moments thrown in). Can I just say some tracks are total earworms? “Praise the Dead” is going to be stuck in my head for a while—the main riffs are tasty and groovy! Honestly, that applies to most tracks on the album. Plus, I enjoyed the almost gothic synth work. But enough praise; let’s talk about the icks!
It was expensive to smile
As fun as the album is, it’s pretty much what you’d expect. Each track stands well on its own and follows an effective formula, but there’s not a huge degree of variation. Maybe I’m losing my hearing, but I feel like the mix could’ve been a bit heavier. Right now, it feels slightly thin, though I guess that’s how old-school MeloDeath used to sound. You can’t blame them too much for wanting to relive those glory days. Just expect serious (as in, it takes itself seriously) extreme Metal that sticks to digestible song and album structures.
It was an interesting trip into one of the many ways we express pain in our secluded music genre. It might not reinvent MeloDeath or change the game, but it’s deep nonetheless. So, returning to my opening thoughts: it’s not Brave Murder Day, but it’s definitely produced better. What? You think that’s unfair because that album is 30 years old? You haven’t seen all the rancid, “new” Black Metal from the crypt I get in my inbox every week. That’d make you rethink our progress as a species!
Label: Twisted Flesh Recordings
Release date: 29 November, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/againstIband
Country: Sweden
Score: A dying 3.5/5.0
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