Reviews are starting to come in on the new album, here's a couple.
From EXCLAIM Magazine:
http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/aggressivetendencies.aspx?csid1=123
Foreboding and reassuring, complex without unnecessary complication, Lost to the Living is easily recognisable as Daylight Dies, building on the dark and depressive eloquence established on two earlier albums and a long out-of-print EP. Lost to the Living also broadens the bands vocabulary, layering and interweaving an even larger accumulation of experience and inspiration against a gloomy metal base. Barre Gamblings lead guitar emerges as the albums dominant voice, despite the gruff reverberation of Nathan Elliss growls (and the clean vocal tones of bassist Egan ORourke throughout two tracks). But as youd expect from Daylight Dies, even their six-string wizardry is held in check, a counterpoint to a rhythm section that always hints at power restrained, subdued but ever-ready violence. The space created by this restraint is filled with potential, pervading even the visual imagery containing such spacious sounds. The record is slow, contemplative but vibrant with energy. Each song contrasts comfortable melodies against dissonant harmonies, smooth textures (including string and woodwind accompaniment) against edgy distortion, constantly moving toward a climax that never erupts. Deceptively heavy, Lost to the Living abounds in uncertainties, the self-assuredness of Daylight Dies never producing any easy answers.
Did you feel pressured to follow-up on Dismantling Devotions success?
Drummer Jesse Haff: We worked intensely and steadily on Lost to the Living after touring but we never felt rushed. Thankfully we didnt have the problems we had between No Reply and Dismantling Devotion, such as member and label changes [adding Ellis and second guitarist Charlie Shackelford, switching from Relapse to Candlelight]. Were all proud of Dismantling but we felt confident we could raise the bar and continue to push our music where we wanted. Were very happy with the result.
The Morning Light exemplifies the albums character. It also has a complementary stripped-down visual aesthetic. Whats the relationship?
Less is more is a mantra we always strive for and The Morning Light achieves that. It has an organic character and is probably one of the more simple songs on the album. Every note and chord change is important.
And the artwork?
I wanted something that stood out. Instead of the grunge or elaborate ornate look that many in metal are using now, we went the opposite direction. Layout is important to me, so each image corresponds to the song and the album as a whole. You can often say more with less. (Candlelight)
From Prefix Magazine:
http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/daylight-dies/lost-to-the-living/19361/
When last we met Daylight Dies, on its majestically doleful second album, Dismantling Devotion (2006), the quintet was busy acing its final exam at the International School of Gothic Doom Metal. So spot-on European was the despair in the bands pounding mope etudes that Daylight Dies came off more like an idealized version of mid-'90s Katatonia or Anathema than a group of crafty North Carolinians with its own take on the genre. Lost to the Living extrapolates the strengths of Dismantling and one-ups it in every way, establishing Daylight Dies as one of the most sophisticated, singular doom purveyors west of the Thames.
With mid-paced tempos and riffs like engraved diamonds, Daylight Dies flawlessly hits the extremes of power and beauty typical of gothic doom, and achieves a magnificent balance between the two poles -- Cathedral and A Subtle Violence are stuffed with shades-drawn melody and richly textured electro-acoustic arrangements, yet theres always an unsettling chord change or jagged slag heap of guitar to poison the prettiness just so. Nathan Elliss death growl bleeds sadness, his clean singing on Woke Up Lost and Last Alone even more so.
Lost to the Living is built on a detailed latticework of electricity and emotion that feels more complex with each spin. Theres something larger going on here though, a dying rose grandeur that envelops the album in ivy and mist. This is music to get lost in, heavy metal that expands and explodes the experience of despair to encompass both outward aggression and intense sorrow.
It says a lot about Daylight Dies that it can turn the simple, weeping instrumental And A Slow Surrender into the emotional high point of the album. The band is accessing realms of emotional and musical depth that perhaps only Opeth has reached before it. Lets see what happens next.
From EXCLAIM Magazine:
http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/aggressivetendencies.aspx?csid1=123
Foreboding and reassuring, complex without unnecessary complication, Lost to the Living is easily recognisable as Daylight Dies, building on the dark and depressive eloquence established on two earlier albums and a long out-of-print EP. Lost to the Living also broadens the bands vocabulary, layering and interweaving an even larger accumulation of experience and inspiration against a gloomy metal base. Barre Gamblings lead guitar emerges as the albums dominant voice, despite the gruff reverberation of Nathan Elliss growls (and the clean vocal tones of bassist Egan ORourke throughout two tracks). But as youd expect from Daylight Dies, even their six-string wizardry is held in check, a counterpoint to a rhythm section that always hints at power restrained, subdued but ever-ready violence. The space created by this restraint is filled with potential, pervading even the visual imagery containing such spacious sounds. The record is slow, contemplative but vibrant with energy. Each song contrasts comfortable melodies against dissonant harmonies, smooth textures (including string and woodwind accompaniment) against edgy distortion, constantly moving toward a climax that never erupts. Deceptively heavy, Lost to the Living abounds in uncertainties, the self-assuredness of Daylight Dies never producing any easy answers.
Did you feel pressured to follow-up on Dismantling Devotions success?
Drummer Jesse Haff: We worked intensely and steadily on Lost to the Living after touring but we never felt rushed. Thankfully we didnt have the problems we had between No Reply and Dismantling Devotion, such as member and label changes [adding Ellis and second guitarist Charlie Shackelford, switching from Relapse to Candlelight]. Were all proud of Dismantling but we felt confident we could raise the bar and continue to push our music where we wanted. Were very happy with the result.
The Morning Light exemplifies the albums character. It also has a complementary stripped-down visual aesthetic. Whats the relationship?
Less is more is a mantra we always strive for and The Morning Light achieves that. It has an organic character and is probably one of the more simple songs on the album. Every note and chord change is important.
And the artwork?
I wanted something that stood out. Instead of the grunge or elaborate ornate look that many in metal are using now, we went the opposite direction. Layout is important to me, so each image corresponds to the song and the album as a whole. You can often say more with less. (Candlelight)
From Prefix Magazine:
http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/daylight-dies/lost-to-the-living/19361/
When last we met Daylight Dies, on its majestically doleful second album, Dismantling Devotion (2006), the quintet was busy acing its final exam at the International School of Gothic Doom Metal. So spot-on European was the despair in the bands pounding mope etudes that Daylight Dies came off more like an idealized version of mid-'90s Katatonia or Anathema than a group of crafty North Carolinians with its own take on the genre. Lost to the Living extrapolates the strengths of Dismantling and one-ups it in every way, establishing Daylight Dies as one of the most sophisticated, singular doom purveyors west of the Thames.
With mid-paced tempos and riffs like engraved diamonds, Daylight Dies flawlessly hits the extremes of power and beauty typical of gothic doom, and achieves a magnificent balance between the two poles -- Cathedral and A Subtle Violence are stuffed with shades-drawn melody and richly textured electro-acoustic arrangements, yet theres always an unsettling chord change or jagged slag heap of guitar to poison the prettiness just so. Nathan Elliss death growl bleeds sadness, his clean singing on Woke Up Lost and Last Alone even more so.
Lost to the Living is built on a detailed latticework of electricity and emotion that feels more complex with each spin. Theres something larger going on here though, a dying rose grandeur that envelops the album in ivy and mist. This is music to get lost in, heavy metal that expands and explodes the experience of despair to encompass both outward aggression and intense sorrow.
It says a lot about Daylight Dies that it can turn the simple, weeping instrumental And A Slow Surrender into the emotional high point of the album. The band is accessing realms of emotional and musical depth that perhaps only Opeth has reached before it. Lets see what happens next.
. The result is astounding, because O’Rourke appears to possess a remarkable clean singing voice. The other songs were provided with convincing growls by Nathan Ellis. Because of the variation in the stirring songs, Daylight Dies sometimes reminds me of Opeth. I expect that fans of this band will most certainly like this album, but also fans of Anathema should be able to appreciate “Lost to the Living”. Be sure to give this album some serious listens."
