I Am the Night – While the Gods Are Sleeping (Review)

This is the debut album from I Am the Night, a black metal band from Finland.

Brought to us by current and ex-members of bands such as Insomnium, Malpractice, Omnium Gatherum, Paradise Lost, and Vallenfyre, While the Gods Are Sleeping is a 38-minute record influenced by the 90s second wave of black metal.

I Am the Night’s old-school sound is haunted by the spectres of early Emperor and Dissection as they hover menacingly overhead. Beneath them the mood is cold and the shadows dark, as I Am the Night summon them into being through eight foul ritual hymns.

The traditional blackened sound is reproduced with great accuracy and authenticity; I Am the Night Sky clearly know and love their classic black metal. Synths add to the band’s epic-feeling sound, while blackened melodies swirl like gathering spirits. Harsh screams are the main mode of vocal delivery, and these are as well-performed as everything here. Other styles such as growls and cleans appear here and there, adding emphasis or a different perspective to the music.

The well-written songs are all exemplars of the old-school, synth-driven style. Aggressive and icy, yet with rich atmosphere and laced with majestic melodies, the songs are moreish and effortless to like if you have a taste for this sort of music. Packed with memorable moments and frosted hooks, While the God’s Are Sleeping is easy to recommend.

If you have love for 90s black metal then make sure you spend some time with this.