Thy Light – No Morrow Shall Dawn

It's been six years since Thy Light released their amazing debut demo, Suici.De.pression. A lot has happened since then. In 2009, Austere released their breathtaking final album, To Lay Like Old Ashes. Lots of people listened to this and figured that they wanted a piece of the action. Soon thereafter, the depressive black metal scene was flooded with horrible bands who couldn't write a decent riff even if their lives depended on it. Eventually, the depressive black metal scene collapsed under the weight of all the shit that was being poured on top of it, sort of like how the gaming industry collapsed back in 1983 because the market was over-saturated with atrocious games. The only two good depressive black metal albums I can remember from last year were from Nontinuum and Obolus, and that only because they refused to retread familiar ground and instead try something different. So now we come back to Thy Light. They set a pretty high standard for themselves with their debut demo. Will their full-length debut live up to the hype?

The album begins with the track “Suici.De.spair”, which is an homage to “Suici.De.pression”. However, the tone of the piano is much more sorrowful, as if they are in dismay at how far the depressive black metal scene has fallen. It's simple, but it's still beautiful.

The first big change fans will notice is in the guitar tone. It doesn't sound as cold as it did on the demo. To me, it sounds similar to Tortured Voice. I like Tortured Voice, but personally, I think this album would have been better if the guitars had cloudier distortion and a guitar tone that is as cold as death itself.

Despite this, the songwriting is still just as stellar as it was on the demo. The drums utilize more double bass and cymbal work this time around, but they still stick to a moderate to slow pace. I assume the drums are still programmed, but they still sound just as natural as they did on the demo. Not only that, but the skill they display has been greatly improved, as they now like to play some great fills on occasion. I especially like how prominent the snare is. A prominent snare means the production is balanced and there's no clipping.

As I said earlier, the guitar tone has changed, but the riffs are still excellent. They're simple yet rather infectious and harken back to the days of Strid. They also play some tremolo riffs that radiate with a certain melody that just sways me. With all these changes in the music, you may be wondering if there are still solos. Luckily for us fans of the demo, there are still a plethora solos, and they are still fucking awesome. They resonate with so much unbridled energy, and the sounds they make just melt the soul, especially on the last song. On top of all that, they also include plenty of clean and acoustic guitars to diversify the experience.

As with the demo, the vocals are the best part of the performance. He still howls with as much pain and anguish as he did on the demo. They sort of remind me of Austere. Speaking of Austere, Tim Yatras makes a guest appearance on the title track, and he totally steals the show for me. His ghostly howls and screams sound just as agonized as they did on To Lay Like Old Ashes. I was most awestruck by his clean vocals near the end of the song. Every time I listen to him, I get chills down my spine and my hairs stand on end in awe of their passion and beauty.

This album is bound to divide fans. Some will like the improved songwriting, while others will hate the change in guitar tone. As for me, I don't like the guitar tone – sounds much too bland for my tastes – but I still think this album has excellent songwriting, excellent guitar solos, and powerful vocals. The depressive black metal scene maybe dead, by Thy Light is still going strong.

http://pestproductions.bandcamp.com/album/no-morrow-shall-dawn