Review of "The Latter Rain" by In Vain

It's finally here, and that sure took its time.

In Vain is a band I've followed ever since they first started moving around in the underground of the

Discography
The Latter Rain	May 2007

Norwegian metal scene, and there never were any denying that these guys had the right abilities to create something very special. So now, when their debut album, The Latter Rain, is finally here, I'm kinda sad to admit that the disappointment is at least a bit present in the back of my mind.

The Latter Rain consists of 10 tracks, clocking in on more than an hour of total playing time. What we're dealing with here is extreme metal with a great deal of melody, atmosphere and growing ability, music that has a complexity so grave that there's no chance you can pass judgements after just a couple of spins. Now, we're not dealing with that technically complex music, and I'm sure enough not talking about stuff like Unexpect, or Ebonylake for that matter. No, what we're dealing with here is a band with a keen ear for detail, and incorporating elements beneath the surface of their material, causing the listener to grow along with the material. Sounds like a match made in heaven to my ears. Through the 10 tracks (including one overly pompus and quite frankly, overdone, intro) we're brought along passing death, black, doom, heavy and very atmospheric metal, not just once bordering on an Opeth-reminiscent sound. And adding guest performances from both Jan K. Transeth (of the legendary In The Woods) and the amazingly delightful vocals of Kjetil Nordhus (Green Carnation), we have a recipe that should be just right for my ears.

And yet, I'm doubtful and a bit hesitant in my judgement of the final product. Maybe I expected too much? I had already heard the opener In The Midnight Hour, and having loved it to death, I had a great hope for the rest of the material. Sadly, I do feel that this track stands a few notches above the remainders, even though tracks like October's Monody and As I Wither can almost be labelled as strokes of genius. That as it may, we must keep in mind that this is a debut from a very young and, let's not deny it, immature band when it comes to growing as song writers, so I think we can safely say that this is a band for the future.

For the next time around I'd wish that the song could be structured a bit tighter, leaving some loose ends behind in the rehearsal room. Still, I do hope that every metal fan with respect for him or herself, go out and purchase this album, for I'm quite sure that it'll appeal to a great deal of you out there.

Rating: 80/100

Written by Ole Kristian Mastadøy

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