The Mist And The Morning Dew
Self Titled
9.6
From the label that brought us the eight year old musings of Especially Likely Sloth, comes an EP from this Finnish super group of sorts who I have had my eye on for a while now after getting their demo way back in 2002. How it took so long for a label to release it is beyond me. Consisting of current and former members of Finntroll, Shaman/ Korpiklaani, Shape of Despair, and The Seventh Planet, TMATMD add to this year’s stellar doom outpouring, but give it a unique and natural folk character that Midnattsol touched on but is more up front here with ample violin use and truly delicate song structures.
The centerpiece of the sound is the angelic childishness of Veera Muhli (ex-Unholy) who’s understated gossamer tones imbue an inner peace that’s helped by the music’s consistent tranquil gait. The material never ebbs, flows and crashes with a crushing peak but rather has the continual lull and gentle ripples of a tranquil lake. Guitarists Jarno Salomaa (Shape of Despair) and Mikael Karlbom deliver a continually layered sound that indescribably lucid and relaxing without falling off into repetitive droning.
Opener “Dusk” is a breathtaking trip into melancholy beauty with a hypnotic harmony that’s doomy without forcefully overdoing the sadness aspect, but rather transcends the usual morose themes with a sense of peaceful ambience slightly flocked with a skyward misty eyed glance. The violin opens the similarly structured “Come, to Think of it” and even thought the song basically carries the same pace and tranquil mantra of “Dusk” but when it’s delivered with such introspective harmony, its hard to ignore.
“Child of April’s Sun” is more upbeat (and by upbeat, I mean a sort of Rapture-ish plod) and highlights Muhli’s tempered tones as she never feels the need to over perform and make the material cheesy or operatic, but keep the mood within the realms of a restrained inner sadness. “Repentance” is yet more delicate strumming and soothing harmonies that have a mesmerizing sway and imbue an inner peace that most doom crushes with its woeful girth. However, its uplifting climax shows that TMATMD are capable of more than draining atmospherics.
The only difference between this official release and the demo is the inclusion of the instrumental “Tuoni Vie” that’s from a 1999 limited release with a different lineup, and even though it contains the same serene ambience, it’s not the same without Muhli’s unique tones. The material is essentially the same superbly produced demo, with no changes other than the extra track. I would like to see this with a thick Shape of Despair like tone, but that may remove some of their character. Still, at 32 minutes this is, minute for minute, one of the best offerings in the genre.
