Admittedly, I haven’t given Daylight Dies very much attention at all since their debut Tribunal Records EP, entitled Idle. Back then, I saw them as a natural offshoot of Opeth (with hints of early Katatonia). They employed slower tempos, melancholic melodies, and an overall dark presence. With Lost To The Living being the first thing I’ve heard by the band (in it’s entirety) since, I can say that all those elements are still there, yet they are honed to near Goth-Doom perfection.

The mood of this album, which in all honesty is the true essence of any album, is a stunning example of bleakness and beauty combined. The guitar melodies, placed almost like a violin would be placed in a requiem, are fluid and melodic…almost lyrical…at times reminding me of what later Saviour Machine has done. The vocal production is stellar and the overall sonic tone of the album is superb. They’re not wasting energy trying to re-invent the genre, but rather are applying it to making the best music they can in their chosen field. They’re becoming a band that can easily hold their own with genre veterans like Paradise Lost and the aforementioned Opeth and Katatonia. When a band can do that while still maintaining their own identity, as Daylight Dies had done, it is something to behold.

It’s a complex, deep album that doesn’t overindulge in musical technicality. Yet, when they do show their chops, as in the lead break of “A Portrait In White”, they prove they are a true musical force. Other highlights include “Woke Up Lost” (arguably the most depressing cut on the album), instrumental masterpiece “And A Slow Surrender”, and opening cut “Cathedral”. The near eight-minute closer “The Morning Light” ends the album in perfect fashion with copious amounts of Doom, Gloom and crunch. Daylight Dies has delivered what will no doubt be on a multitude of Album Of The Year lists. Now I need to go back and see what I missed between Idle and now.

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