There can be no denying that the music industry has continued to deliver in a post-COVID world, with many bands recently showcasing and releasing the hard work they produced during the widespread lockdowns just a few short years ago. This period of forced creativity has helped spur new offerings from many of our favorite artists, and in some cases, has birthed new acts entirely. A supergroup formed from some of Scandinavia’s finest melodic death metal artists was certainly not something I had on my 2024 bingo card and is something that I doubt very many people would have on theirs. However, that is where we are uniquely positioned with Cemetery Skyline, an act born in 2020 from the minds of members from Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium, The Man-Eating Tree, Dimmu Borgir, and Amorphis – that would only become fully realized in 2024.

It would be easy to expect that with these members and their histories, we’d be witness to a cacophony of melodic death metal and symphonic metal that somehow meshed into a melodeath project of legend. The result however couldn’t be farther away from that. Cemetery Skyline’s mission statement is best summed up by the title of their debut album Nordic Gothic — with these two key terms being the ones that define their music.

The first and most apparent thing about the album is how authentically unique it stands apart from the original acts of any of its members. While many will opt to coin these tracks as ‘dark rock’, the gothic tag is an appropriate one as these tracks by and large evoke comparisons to almost anything out of HIM or Type O Negative’s discography.

Opening track Torn Away is a fist-pumping outing that is carried by its euro-trance-inspired keys and the dark rock influence which permeates through an energetic riff in its chorus. The second track In Darkness continues with these elements to create a rollicking track that caresses the line between dark rock romp and melancholic masterpiece. Well-paced and beautifully capped off by a soaring solo, this song carries an intense amount of emotion.

The third track, and the band’s first released single Violent Storm was clearly chosen to demonstrate the band’s direction from the outset. Continuing from the groundwork put in place by the songs before it, it’s steady pacing, melodic overtures, and melancholic message make it one of the stand-out songs on the album.

The fourth track Behind the Lie has a more metal sensibility to it than its preceding tracks, wistfully incorporating tempo changes and melody between its verse and chorus. These things layered beautifully against Mikael Stanne’s vocal message all work together to build the chorus to a crescendo of euphoric emotion. However, this is beautifully contrasted by the symphonic breakdown mid-song, which turns out to be one of the heaviest sections on the entire album.

Ballad When Silence Speaks marks the midpoint of the album and offers a slower pace of song compared to those that came before it. The more nuanced bass and melody create a beautiful soundscape with choral undertones that enhance the emotive nature of this song, and the inherent message of loneliness carried through its lyrics.

The sixth song The Darkest Night reverts to some of the energy displayed by the opening run of tracks with a far more upbeat tempo, and a very strong riff layering that harkens closer to a more melodeath sound. This then leads into Never Look Back, which is a pared-back track that once again has incredible musical layering. The song has strong 80’s Rock vibes and is carried by a prominent drum line; however, it is the synthwave-inspired key/guitar outro that will stick firmly in listeners’ memories.

The Coldest Heart follows in the same vein as the other slower tracks on the album, with an acoustic vibe that enters a classic rock sound. With some crowd chants in the chorus and musical pauses that let keys shine in phases, this song is masterfully crafted to convey a strong message.  This leads into the penultimate track, the energetic Anomalie, which ushers in the tail end of the album with a blast. Its up-tempo sensibilities and majestic solo provide a stark contrast to lyrics like “I know this isn’t real, none of this is happening, I just don’t want to deal, with the outside coming down”, but the whole package works and as an earworm, this rests as one of the more memorable tracks on the album. Finally, the album closer Alone Together has a soft performed key introduction for its first 80 seconds before building to a more nuanced balladesque track. While it still bears the familiar traits the songs before it, its unique pacing, emotive messaging and melancholic temperament make this track distinctly unique amongst all the others.

There can be no denying that with the pedigree of artists attached to Cemetery Skyline, performances would be exemplary, and that’s certainly the case. Markus Vanhala on guitars is ever the workman, and the interplay between him and Santeri Kallio on keys makes you feel like these two have been working together for aeons. Its clear that both of these two had a strong influence on the song writing, with the melding of both their unique styles birthing some incredible tracks. Vessa Ranta and Victor Brandt provide the best bassline as a platform for the instruments of melody to shine, but also get to take the forefront at different spots throughout the album.

One of the best surprises was that this album is entirely sung with no harsh vocals at all. Stanne’s vocal prowess is legendary, and while he is widely regarded for his harsh vocals — he’s a brilliant singer in his own right. Having the ability to showcase that singing ability across an entire album is amazing, and it’s through his delivery that these tracks really harness the emotive nature and character that these songs need.

Cemetery Skyline came out with a mission statement that they were going to be ‘a unique combination of heavy riffs and emotions packed in a deep and dark creative context’ and for the most part they have fulfilled that with Nordic Gothic. Through consistent song writing and performances these songs are given life, emotion and nuance, and the result is a unique album that celebrates a new dawn for Cemetery Skyline, and what is hopefully a new and long-lived chapter for these artists.