This is the second album from US death/doom metal band Fires in the Distance.
Air Not Meant for Us is a 50-minute journey into melodic death/doom waters from Fires in the Distance, who feature an ex-member of Xenosis in their ranks.
The music of Fires in the Distance is rich and textured, and provides a vibrant atmospheric journey into an immersive world. The well-written songs make good use of the bones of melodic death metal and melodic doom to build a sound that is definitely of the style, but also allows for the development of its own personality and presence.
Melody and atmosphere are keep components of Air Not Meant for Us, and Fires in the Distance have a keen grasp on both of these. Even the heaviness of the music and the use of the singer’s well-performed deep growls are only really there to add to the mood-rich soundscapes that are crafted with ease.
All of the band members’ performances are on point, and all of the instruments are expressive and detailed. The music is layered not only with the standard instruments you would expect to find in a metal band, but also others such as the piano, cello, viola, and violin. These all add to the band’s striking delivery. The orchestration is frequently a standout aspect of the music, and is fully embedded into the well-formed sound.
Air Not Meant for Us is an album of beautiful melodic death and doom. It’s a captivating and absorbing listen, and if you’re a fan of band such as Insomnium, Paradise Lost, Sentenced, and Mother of Graves, as well as older Katatonia, Tiamat, and Amorphis, then I urge you to not miss out on this.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 