Hanging Garden – Neither Moth nor Rust (EP)
Release Date: 21st January 2022
Label: Lifeforce Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic, Doom, Post-Metal.
FFO: Katatonia, Ghost Brigade, Swallow the Sun.
Review By: Rick Farley
Genre defying Hanging Garden is a difficult band to categorize. Formed in 2004 in the Doom friendly country of Finland, they began as a Melodic Doom Death Metal band in the same vein as fellow countrymen Swallow the Sun. Much like their Swedish counterparts Katatonia, their musical journey took a different path, and they continuously evolved further with each new album pushing the boundaries of the genre and themselves. At their beginnings, they drew influences from bands like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride. That early sound remains, only now interpreted differently and with a broader spectrum of styles. Over the course of seven full lengths and several EPs, they’ve effortlessly combined elements of their melodic gloomy soundscapes with several other neoteric styles. Expertly blending in synths, electronics beats, Goth influences, pianos and Post-rock into complex contemporary songwriting. That however doesn’t paint the full picture. With firm roots in Metal, Hanging Garden uses doomy atmospheres and experimental textures to tell a sombre, dark and drama filled story. Emitting strong emotions while exploring a multitude of stylistic musical components. Forward-thinking Hanging Garden are much more than just Doom Metal.
After releasing an album less than a year ago, Hanging Garden are releasing a new EP titled Neither Moth nor Rust. With six songs at a running time of twenty-five minutes, it feels more like a generous continuation of their most recent album, Skeleton Lake, than it does a standalone EP. Neither Moth nor Rust further widens the newer direction introduced on the EP’s predecessor. In 2019 the band also introduced another new element in the form of now full-time member, female vocalist Rikka Hatakka. Her lush, beautiful voice adds a bright, silky tone to the doomier, goth tones of her husband and main vocalist Toni Hatakka. They both harmonize so effortlessly, and Toni’s abrasive growls add even further depth to the already outstanding vocals.
There’s just so much to digest on Neither Moth nor Rust. Focusing on emotional atmospheres, catchy hooks, and a fine line between melancholy and bewitching melodies. More experimental, it feels warmer, and occasionally playful with some added pop sensibilities. Taking a small step away from the doomier elements gives the EP a fresher and almost optimistic sound than most of their peers. The video included in this review The Last Dance is a great example of this. The juxtaposition between the brighter elements and their ability in creating sorrow filled songs is uncanny. Track four, an instrumental piano passage The Raven Portrait, is not only haunting, but also beautiful. Its alluring simplicity adds a delicate hopefulness. I really felt this melody in my bones. Darkwave inspired album closer Field of Reeds is a remixed song from their previous album. It’s more upbeat and reworked with synths, electronic drums and piano melodies, it just further emphasizes how far they’ve truly evolved. Being only an EP, Neither Moth nor Rust is well worth your time, big pops of colour painted on a dark, bleak musical canvas. Can’t wait to see what’s next. 
(4.5 / 5)
