I’ve been into In Mourning for a few years now, since 2012’s “The Weight of Oceans.” That album was awesome, so much do that I went back and got their first 2 albums. The band had a very solid Opethian vibe to them without feeling like a ripoff. I guess I should say a “pre-Heritage” Opethian vibe. Tobias Netzell has a great death growl and a very strong clean vocal.

Then came their masterpiece “Afterglow” in 2016 which saw the band add former Katatonia drummer Daniel Liljekvist. The album was perfect. How could they possibly top it? To make matters all that much harder, Liljekvist quit the band last year. But the band pressed on adding Joakim Strandberg-Nilsson on drums and completing the follow up to “Afterglow” called “Garden of Storms.”

I was definitely worried given the bar being set so high and the lineup change. But In Mourning has done it again! “Garden of Storms” is another fantastic album that COULD be better than “Afterglow.” The big difference to me is the more balanced sound and balance of harsh and clean vocals by Netzell. The album kicks off with the onslaught of “Black Storm.” The power that the band has always had is definitely intact.

Things get better still with “Yields of Sand” which showcases that balanced sound that I mentioned. The presence of all that melody just makes the harsher moments have even more bite. The jagged riffage on the chorus is just killer! “Magenta Ritual” shows off the atmospheric side that In Mourning has toyed with over the years. Again, it makes the chorus even punchier. The track reminds me a bit of Amorphis for some reason and I love them.

“Huntress Moon” wouldn’t sound out of place on an Insomnium album while the majestic closer “The Lost Outpost” is a pounding epic that proves In Mourning are in the same league as all of the bands that I’ve mentioned. If you love classic progressive death metal with a bucketload of melody, you need “Garden of Storms” in your life. In a perfect world, In Mourning would step into the void left by Opeth now that they are a prog rock band. I really hope this is the album that pushes them to that goal.

Rating: 9.5/10

Tracklist:
1. Black Storm
2. Yields Of Sand
3. Hierophant
4. Magenta Ritual
5. Huntress Moon
6. Tribunal Of Suns
7. The Lost Outpost

Label: Agonia Records
Release Date: 4 October 2019
Bandcamp: agoniarecords.bandcamp.com/album/garden-of-storms