Old Night – Mediterranean Melancholy (Review)

Old Night are a Croatian doom metal band and this is their fourth album.

2017’s Pale Cold Irrelevance and 2019’s A Fracture in the Human Soul were both great records, so I was pleased and surprised when Mediterranean Melancholy appeared out of the blue. I was even more surprised to find out that Old Night released another album – Ghost Light – in 2022 that had completely escaped my attention. Boo! Anyway, let’s now turn our attention to the 44 minutes of new material on Mediterranean Melancholy.

There’s been a lineup change for this new record. The lead vocalist, (also guitarist), is no longer in the band. His duties are spread over a new guitarist and and existing guitarist – the latter previously provided backing singing and has now taken on lead vocals too. Stage now set, let’s dive in.

Mediterranean Melancholy is rich in atmospheric depth and substance. It’s awash with layers of feeling throughout its running time. The songs are expertly crafted, making good use of doom metal’s old-school foundations, yet managing to sound fresh and engaging with it. Throw in a few progressive doom elements, and you have a firm winner.

Old Night’s doom metal reeks of quality. It’s instantly captivating, and only grows more so with repeated spins. The well-crafted songs are vibrantly melancholic, existing as three-dimensional exemplars of doom metal majesty. It’s striking how good Old Night are, and reminds me of just how bland so many others playing this style truly are. There is nothing revolutionary going on here, just well-written, well-performed doom, with character and expressive replay value.

The band’s guitarist has stepped forward from backing to lead vocals with ease. His voice drips with emotion, and he’s never not impressive to listen to. He would absolutely dominate the music of a lesser band, but the rest of Old Night are up to the challenge of keeping up with him. Mediterranean Melancholy is a record that’s a masterclass in doom metal, through and through.

Old Night continue to pump out excellent albums, and very few people seem to notice. Sadly even I seem to be among them, due to missing out completely on previous record Ghost Light. Let’s hope that Mediterranean Melancholy earns the band more attention and exposure, as they absolutely deserve it. Old Night should be spoken about in the same revered tones as many of the greats.

Essential listening for fans of bands like Candlemass, Khemmis, King Witch, Messa, Monolord, Pallbearer, Spirit Adrift, Warning, etc.