There is a fine line between “atmospheric” and “empty.” Songs From The Veil does not merely avoid that line — it erases it.
With their third full-length effort, As The Sun Falls are not simply trying to write another melodic death metal album. They dig deeper, into the place where Finnish melodeath stops being a genre and becomes a landscape. Not a postcard landscape — but something colder, more primal, almost hostile.
From the very first notes, the album breathes that familiar northern melancholy, yet there is something more cohesive here compared to Kaamos. This is not just a collection of songs — it is a narrative. The themes surrounding Sielulintu and the shadows of the afterlife do not function as mere fantasy aesthetics; they operate like memory. Like something that existed before the music itself.
Musically, the band stands firmly within the Finnish melodeath tradition while avoiding the obvious shortcuts. The riffs do not chase hooks — they build weight. The melodies do not simply uplift — they haunt. There is a pronounced use of space, with mid-tempo passages allowing the atmosphere to breathe rather than drowning everything in speed.
The vocals move between harsh growls and more fragile moments without falling into the trap of excessive contrast.
Where the album truly distinguishes itself is in the details: Gogo Melone’s guest vocals are not mere decoration — they function as voices emerging from within the narrative itself, particularly on “Silent Waters” and “Daughter of the Air,” where the songs take on an almost ritualistic character.
The production by Mikael Andersson is clear without being sterile. There is weight, but also enough air for the layers to breathe. The drums avoid the over-triggered modern approach, preserving an organic feel — something missing from many contemporary releases in the genre.
Thematically, the album draws from mythology, but its strongest moment comes when it turns personal. The track dealing with loss (unnamed here, though easily identifiable) forms the emotional center of the record. There, the “veil” is no longer metaphor — it becomes something you can almost feel opening.
If there is one criticism to be made, it is that the album deliberately chooses restraint in places, which may alienate listeners seeking immediate intensity or a more aggressive character. But that is also part of its identity — it was not written for instant impact.
Songs From The Veil is not an album for playlists. It is an album for the night, for headphones, and for full attention. A work that balances folklore, nature, and personal pain without becoming verbose or pretentious.
It does not try to impress you.
It tries to pull you inside — and if you give it time, it succeeds.
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