ITP V.021 REVIEW: HANGING GARDEN: "SKELETON LAKE"

 

BAND: HANGING GARDEN (FINLAND)

GENRE:MELODIC DEATH/DOOM METAL

LABEL: LIFEFORCE RECORDS

 RELEASE DATE: 5/21/2021

TITLE:"SKELETON LAKE"

   PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): 

"AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT" , (EP), 6/5/2020 via LIFEFORCE RECORDS

"INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT", 11/15/2019 via

LIFEFORCE RECORDS

 "BACKWOODS SESSIONS II", 3/8/2019 via BANDCAMP. 

"I AM BECOME", 10/27/2017 via LIFEFORCE RECORDS. 

"HEREAFTER", (EP), 10/7/2016 via LIFEFORCE RECORDS.

""BACKWOODS SESSIONS" (EP), 12/11/2015 via LIFEFORCE RECORDS

"BLACKOUT WHITEOUT", 9/25/2015 via LIFEFORCE RECORDS. 

"I WAS A SOLDIER" (EP), 11/18/2013 via LIFEFORCE RECORDS. 

"AT EVERY DOOR", 1/25/2013 via LIFEFORCE RECORDS. 

"TEOTWAWKI", 11/11/2009 via SPIKEFARM RECORDS. 

 "INHERIT THE EDEN", 2/28/2007 via SPIKEFARM RECORDS.

 

 

.

 

HANGING GARDEN: "SKELETON LAKE"   TRACK LISTING: 

1. "KUURA"

2. "FAITH"

3. "NOWHERE HAVEN"

4. "WINTER'S KISS" 

5. "WHEN THE MUSIC DIES"

6. "TUNTURI"

7. "ROAD OF BONES"

8. "FIELD OF REEDS"

9. "SKELETON LAKE" 

 

BEST RELEASE(S)  "AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT" , (EP-2020),  "SKELETON LAKE" (2021), "I AM BECOME" (2017),  "INHERIT THE EDEN" (2007), "TEOTWAWKI" (2009)

 

  ITP RATING: ****
PRODUCTION: ****
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE ****1/2

HANGING GARDEN are a Finland based melodic, death doom metal band with touches of Gothic. 

In 2019, HANGING GARDEN enlisted female vocalist RIIKKA HATAKKA. 

Here ITP V.021 has HANGING GARDEN'S new offering "SKELETON LAKE". 

 HANGING GARDEN'S  "SKELETON LAKE" kicks off with "KUURA", a track featuring both clean and blackened vocals, hard rock riffing and a prominent keyboard riff. . "KUURA" poicks up a heavier tone with a clean and blackened vocals duet closing out the track. 

 HANGING GARDEN'S "FAITH" enters with an awesome synthesizer and loud riffing as the track segues into  softer post rock with RIIKKA HATAKKA'S clean vocals. At 4:05 into "FAITH", blackened vocals balance out the tracks softer tones with both hard rock and post rock riffing for a great and melancholic atmosphere. .  .

 HANGING GARDEN'S  "NOWHERE HAVEN" enters with a post rock groove featuring clean male and female vocals and back round death vocals. "NOWHERE HAVEN features well produced male and female  clean vocal interplay as the death metal vox also enter into the mix. 

 HANGING GARDEN'S "WINTER'S KISS" features clean male vocals and prominent synth riff as the band sings about the perils of a long Finnish winter: "The winter took everything". "WINTER'S KISS" is a softer track with an atmospheric post rock feel with melodic guitars. 

 HANGING GARDEN'S  "WHEN THE MUSIC DIES" enters with a jazzy feel and segues into clean female vocals overlapping acoustic guitars for a neo, atmospheric folk track. "WHEN THE MUSIC DIES" is a well written track featuring an excellent vocal performance from RIIKKA HATAKKA'S.

 HANGING GARDEN'S "TUNTURI" is a heavier track featuring blackened vocals, melodic guitar solos At 2:34 into "TUNTURI" RIIKKA HATAKKA'S.clean vocals balance out the heaviness. At 3:29, "TUNTURI" gets heavier for a loud to soft  dynamic via a subtle segue. 

 HANGING GARDEN'S "ROAD OF BONES" enters with post rock piano featuring male and female clean vocals and death metal vocals at the chorus. "ROAD OF BONES" features the loud soft dynamic as the heavy soft vocals add balance to the track and segue in the blink of an eye. 

HANGING GARDEN'S "FIELD OF REEDS" features some wondrous melodic guitar interplay and a clean vocal (male and female) duet. At 3:30 into "FIELD OF REEDS" blackened (or death metal) vocals segue into the track, although the appearance of extreme metal vox are rare on this track and kept to a minimum.  .  

 

.HANGING GARDEN closes out the release with the longest and title track  "SKELETON LAKE". 

  "SKELETON LAKE" enters at a snails pace with, for starters, death metal vocals and shortly after clean vocals. Keyboards paint beautiful melancholic atmospheres as "SKELETON LAKE" bathes in the glow of melodic guitars. . "SKELETON LAKE'S" foray into funeral doom does not detract from it's heaviness as the death metal and clean vocal duet brings a beauty to darkness.   

 

 HANGING GARDEN'S "SKELETON LAKE balances dark melodies with beautiful melancholic atmospheres for engaging listen.  

During the last three years, (clean) vocalist RIIKKA HATAKKA (now married to vocalist and bandmate TONI HATAKKA) . has factored and utilized more in HANGING GARDEN'S music. However, the band still, on occasion dip into the old death, doom well as not to alienate their fans. 

 HANGING GARDEN'S "SKELETON LAKE" takes a more softer, post rock approach compared to their death doom roots. . However, the production and clean death vocal interplay is magnificent sparking a stellar performance. 

Regarding songwriting, I don't think HANGING GARDEN has hit their peak, as some of the songs sound the same with little riff variety. 

However,  HANGING GARDEN WILL hit that peak as the tracks and vocals are radio friendly and this band could huge someday. 

.HANGING GARDEN'S amazing use of clean and death vocals and both soft and dark melodies is not just the hallmark of an amazing performance but a successful formula for years to come. 

If you like KATATONIA you should check out HANGING GARDEN.

  ITP RATING: ****
PRODUCTION: ****
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE ****1/2     

 

 https://spak-individualthoughtpatterns.blogspot.com/2021/05/hanging-garden-streaming-skeleton-lake.html

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-