Release Date: May 19th 2023. Record Label: VS77 Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Days Gone By: Tracklisting
Other
Too Soon
First Light
Falls
Days Gone By
Breathe
Members
Peter Strange - Guitars/Vocals
Jesper Hansen- Guitars
Nick Ebert - Bass
Christian Lee - Drums
Review
Days Gone By is the debut album from Shoegaze/Post-Metal quartet A Horrible Death To A Horrible Man (AHDTAHM) and with that kind of name you would expect a bleak and depressing album. However, Days Gone By is quite upbeat in places. Sure, the music is mostly DOOM and GLOOM based but the band do add an upbeat Post-Rock and Ambient driven sound for this album.
Drawing creative ideas and grooves from the Post-Rock, Noise Rock, Alternative Metal and Post-Punk movements for a heavier and multi-layered style of music. The music feels inspired by bands such as Deafheaven, YOB, Neurosis and Pallbearer with a slight Gothic twinge.
Opening song Other is a song which tugs on the heartstrings with it's remorseful clean vocals and pulsating Post-Metal grooves where you can hear a healthy amount of Post-Blackened atmosphere with a harsh Noise Rock environment. The music does move at a thrilling and breakneck pace which shows how technically impressive AHDTAHM really are with their music. The band are quite visceral with their creative thoughts which you can feel within the emotionally charged lyrics. Though, it's the music and vocals that keeps everything feeling wholly original and downright super-fresh.
Second song Too Soon opts for a more Alternative vibe which reminds me of The Cure in places. Obviously not the Blackened Doom/Sludge Metal aspect of the track but the vocals and lyrics which makes this one of my favourite tracks on the album. The song is moody and atmospheric with the music becoming more hopeful on the later stages of the song. The music itself flirts between Ambient Post-Rock, Post-Metal harsh Psychedelic Sludge Metal icy textures. The whole progression of the song is quite cinematic with a daring element that allows AHDTAHM to explore a new level of Post-Punk and Gothic tinged heaviness that ultimately tugs at the heartstrings.
Third song First Light opens with a Post-Doom based movement with a haunting claustrophobic feel that draws upon that classic "Blackened Post-Metal" sound that Wolves In The Throne Room used early on in their careers. The clean vocals allows this track to be contemporary and thoroughly modern at the same time. The instrumental sounds can be relentless but AHDTAHM great use of Post-Metal themes leads to some epic guitar sounds along the way. The use of Ambient Post-Rock allows AHDTAHM to offer some of the most emotionally charged moments especially when Peter Strange's vocals opt for a more reflective style.
Fourth track Fails is more Post-Rock influenced but still offers moments of gloomy heaviness but it's one of the most haunting and uplifting parts of the album.
The final two songs of Days Gone By and Breathe sees AHDTAHM continue with the Progressive and Heavier sound heard within the early stages of the album but perhaps with more emotionally charged lyrics and harsher grooves being the main weapon for the band to deliver their music with.
Days Gone By is boosted by stunning production values which allows AHDTAHM the perfect opportunity to create one of the most haunting and stunning debut Post-Metal releases of the year.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Audible Music for the promo.
Days Gone By will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via VS77 Records from Friday 19th May 2023.
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