In Slumber – While We Sleep
Release Date: 1st July 2022
Label: War Anthem Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Death Metal, Black Metal.
FFO: Okera, Soilwork, Dark Tranquility.
Review By: The Wayfaerer
Hailing from Linz in upper Austria, In Slumber is a band that I had never heard of before, which is not that surprising, considering that their last album came out thirteen years ago. Their line-up boasted a revolving door of session and live musicians, but their one constant was Wolfgang Rothbaur taking care of Bass, Guitar, and Vocal duties. Coming back from a thirteen-year hiatus isn’t easy, but he would not be deterred, as after recruiting Flo Musil on drums, the two of them managed to crank out In Slumber’s first album in over a decade: While We Sleep.
Clairvoyance starts the album off with a somber melodic riff that transforms into a heavy dirge, with blastbeats hammering into you with the force of a hurricane. It’s one hell of an opening statement, and It’s also probably my favorite on the album. Stillborn carries on that momentum, with a furious assault of drums and harmonic guitars. Parasomnia and Lake of Visions opt for a slower pace that helps you really drink in every note. Sleep Paralysis is where the band wears its black metal influences on its shoulders, while Manacle of Dogma shows off their adherence to the more modern melodeath sound. The Demon Whispers is largely much of the same, save for a beautiful acoustic interlude in the middle. Subconscious Scars largely feels like filler honestly, but A Moral of Strain bookends the album, and it’s probably the heaviest song on the album. Rothbaur’s vocals and guitar playing are the heaviest they’ve been…which is a shame considering that the song doesn’t even clock in at two minutes.
If you’re coming back from a thirteen-year hiatus from your last album, then you’d better make it worthwhile, and In Slumber have done that in spades. Weaving black metal and death metal together while also adding in elements and inspirations from other artist is a sight to behold. I heard traces of Okera, Rise to Fall, even Woods of Ypres. Of course, not everything is perfect. Rothbaur’s vocals are heavy enough to carry the album, but they’re not particularly memorable. I’m sure you can name a screamer who can do better. I will say that Musil’s drumming is the real standout here, managing to be complex, but not so much that it becomes excessive, and punchy enough to standout amongst the guitars and vocals. Overall, a fantastic return from a band that I have never heard of before. But now that I have, I want more.
(4 / 5)
