Overall, the doom metal scene has truly flourished into a multitude of stylistic expansions. Throughout the 90's, the genre fused with psychedelia, hardcore, death metal, and more to result in a far more diverse melting pot than the somewhat limited characteristics of traditional doom.
Regarding the past decade, I would say the sludgy side of the genre has been more prominent as I'd be hard-pressed to name off many new stoner, death/doom, or other stylistic offshoot acts that doom metal produced. As for the latter mentioned subgenre, there is fortunately a large majority of the pioneering death/doom bands still representing their scene by releasing notable albums and likely inspiring smaller groups to follow suit. On the subject of smaller acts though, the Swedish-based Vanha shows definite influence from the likes of Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride in their debut LP, Within The Mist of Sorrow.
As a whole, Vanha takes the tropes of death/doom, yet cranks up the melancholic factor. Opening track "Old Heart Fails" truly sets the tone with the slow, brooding piano intro followed by an even further downtempo guitar progression. For the most part, the piece was typical of the genre, but right before the four minute mark, an organ was ushered in along with a melodic guitar solo. For a sometimes predictable genre, those additions served for an impressive first impression.
Venturing forward into Within The Mist of Sorrow, the band stresses the notion that they will not settle for predictability. Aspects including the continued focus on piano and atmosphere, as demonstrated on "The Curse," is quite indicative of Vanha's unique identity. While mostly trudging at the typical doom pace, the succinct guitar melodic leads provide diversity amongst the slow, dirge riffs. The 8-minute closer "Desolati0n" bundles all the main characteristics of this LP into one with a melancholic build-up, triumphant guitar solos, and diverse instrumentation.
When examining a debut record, it's likely most significant to have qualities that are original to make an actual impact. The inclusion of strings and piano play a large role in these compositions and are easily the most compelling aspect. Strangely enough, a couple of these songs are driven even more so by the piano than guitar and drums. Although, I would be excited to label these components as a first to the genre, it's difficult to confidently claim what is original or not nowadays when there is so much out there, but by no means do I believe Vanha to be copycats in the death/doom subgenre.
When realizing that these compositions are created only from the duo of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jan Johansson and drummer Jesse Oinas, I gained even further respect for Vanha as I assumed a full band was behind this project. Examining all six of the tracks included, there is a slight amount of recognizable melody. And if I were to provide some critique, I would hope to see more of the melody hinted at as it could very much provide that extra gripping factor to the music. Also, while the production is completely satisfactory for a debut of a band at this level, I can very much foresee a more impactful display of this group's talent in the future where the mix compliments each vocal line and instrument. As a debut, Within The Mist of Sorrow is musically immense and shows moments where 90's death/doom feels fresh and new.
Score: 8/10
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