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Vanha Melancholia Review

Melancholia is the second album by Vanha from Sweden. As the title suggests, it's a beautiful Death Doom album. With atmosphere of longing and desperation and dark tranquility permeate like a moon over a mausoleum.

The Road starts us off with dark soft ambient guitars slowly rising from a rotting tomb. Spoken word insues as the music builds ever so slowly and forlorn. Then it kicks in. So slow and despair ridden, medieval, and beautiful. Amazing guitar work, solos are amazing. Almost reminscent of Iron Maiden in sense of the melodies guitar wise here. Absolutely astonishing.
Storm Of Grief has some beautiful riffs here. Haunting and creating an atmosphere that's thick and intense and beautiful all at the same time. Using growls on this one, its so fucking amazing. So heavy it could crush a church. And yet its got the funereal vibes. The musicianship is top notch and cant be questioned.
Starless Skies starts off with beautiful strings and synth overtop a sullen soft guitar riff. It reeks of sorrow. It builds with the same notes the strings were playing with the guitars. It's fucking gorgeous. So dark and enchanting.



Your Heart In My Hands starts off with a ravishing piano playing. Then it slows down to a soft melancholic notes as the bass and drums come in, with haunting clean vocals. The guitars kick in and it's sublime. The intertwining melodies. So fucking good. The growls come in and you can feel the agonizing despair.
Fade Away starts off with dirgy wah infused guitar work that makes it super eerie. The rest of the band comes in like a funeral dirge. Very epic and forlorn.
The Sorrowful ends the album in amazing form. A soft ambient atmosphere oozing with despair. It's so beautiful like being seduced by a sexy vampire. It's so beautiful with the crushing heaviness. This is pure art.

This album is a very moving piece of work and its not for the faint of heart. The atmosphere is crushing.


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