Soliloquium – Things We Leave Behind (Review)

This is the third album from Swedish death/doom band Soliloquium.

This is a progressive, melodic brand of death/doom, one that also takes elements of post-metal and shoegaze into its mix. The end result is a 45-minute album that strikes a balance between instant-appeal heaviness and songwriting smarts on one hand, and emotive appeal and lasting depth on the other.

A broad range of feelings, moods, and atmospheres are expressed across this release, from the richly beautiful to the sharply aggressive. The music is well-written and achieves what it sets out to; namely, to produce music that hits both physically and emotionally. Various paces and moods are explored on the album, and the band’s progressive take on death/doom is well-delivered and structured. Rich in both melody and weight, these songs are compelling examples of how to take a well-worn style and make it your own.

All of the vocals are very well-performed, from the death growls to the acidic screams, as well as the occasional foray into clean singing. All of them drip with emotion and expressive weight, and they’re all well-judged in relation to when a particular style is indicated over any other.

Things We Leave Behind is an album to spend some time with, getting to know its melodies, vocal arrangements, and pounding drums. The songs are memorable and moreish, and the entire album is very accomplished. Through careful crafting of the songs, Soliloquium have made an album that is extremely hard to ignore.

If you have a taste for melodic/progressive death/doom, then don’t overlook this gem.