Somnent release their magnificent new album of melodic doom/death metal, Heirloom, through Ardua Music!
Somnent began life in 2015, a melodic doom/death metal band from Orlando, Florida created by multi-instrumentalist Giovanni Antonio Vigliotti. From the very beginning Somnent's music has been infused with a melancholy as heavy and powerful as the measured chords that form their majestic, yet intimate songs. That remarkable blend of towering, regal bearing and raw vulnerability is an integral part of what makes Somnent's music so affecting and unforgettable. Over the course of one EP, two magnificent studio albums and a dramatic live collection, the band have grown consistently in stature, constantly refining their art without ever losing that courageous honesty and openness, garnering critical acclaim at every turn. Now, with a new alliance forged with Ardua Music, it is time to reveal Somnent's third full-length studio album. A reflection on the devastating effects of a toxic family situation, the deep wounds that can take a lifetime to heal and the liberation that can be found in severing the ties which keep us chained to the struggles of our past…this is Heirloom.
Heirloom begins with 'A Voice Of Inner Child' and the summoned atmosphere of sorrow and quiet desperation immediately enfolds you in its cold embrace, the voice of guest vocalist Natalia Drepina (Mourneress) hypnotic and inescapable, cutting softly to the heart. 'Throne Aflame' follows, heavy with both portent and memory, back bowed beneath the weight of the world. It reaches into the vault where your most painful moments are sealed away and draws them, with gentle determination, into the light. The melodies are magnificent and the chorus lifts you on wings of revelation and acceptance. Heirloom holds you rapt through its every dark chapter; the sadness immeasurable, the intensity of emotion that infuses every chord, word, beat, note and breath, overwhelming. From the long, terrible journey of 'Barren Mother', its desolate opening chords rolling in like quiet waves on a chill and lightless shore, to the impassioned vocals, granite riffs and electrifying lead work of 'The Feeding Hand', the song writing talent on display is formidable. Heirloom is an album of aching beauty, dark heaviness, dreadful, desolate sadness - and yet it also carries a light of hope, offering a supporting hand and genuine empathy. With their third album Somnent have tapped into the very essence of doom metal and made it their own. The clarity of reflection, the intensity of expression in both words and music make this album addictive, irresistible and very, very special.
Painted in hues of fading light and cemetery grey, Heirloom draws on a rich sonic palette that makes for an utterly immersive listening experience. There's a resonance and clarity, a tactile texture to each element of sound that is breathtaking. With cover art created by the acclaimed Augusto Peixoto of Iron Doom Design (In Solitude, Rise To The Sky, Sinister Realm etc) Heirloom is complete in every way. Look for its coming on October 30th when Ardua Music will bid it farewell and send it out into the world.
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