Rise to the Sky is a pretty newish one man doom metal act hailing from Chile. Although Sergio, the mastermind behind it, founded this project only in 2019 we have already got full length number three. “Let Me Drown with You” comes with a playing time of nearly 55 minutes, so there is enough meat to pick from the bones. To be perfectly honest doom metal is not something I listen to each day, but this album caught my attention as it oozes so much atmosphere and is absolutely fascinating.
Sergio has a fantastic feeling for channeling that forlorn and emotive mode that stands at the center of the style of doom to an incredible degree. Packed with catchy yet sophisticated enough melodies and with gothic aura pouring out from every tune this album will not disappoint fans of the genre. Sergio has managed to turn most songs into hits without making them sound cheesy or stilted. He has cleverly escaped pretentiousness without losing power and punch. A good example of this is the title track, which is also probably my favorite of the album, hitting with a powerful and stunning chorus line. That being said when it comes to music like this it might not make that much sense to highlight single tracks. This is more about the emotions ebbing and flowing with the melancholic instrumentation and get caught within the darkness.
There are the usual references to acts like Katatonia or Paradise Lost, but when the execution is as flawless this is not an issue in my books. This is high quality doom metal in all its melancholic splendor. As can be predicted, the path ahead through all the material is long and slow, but the music occasionally moves forward with a more deathly march. Low and anguished roars lead the way, with a good balance of crunchy guitars with more mellow and clean played lead guitar parts that add more layers. Beautiful acoustic pieces are further enhancing the outstanding atmosphere.
Fans of cinematic arrangements to doom/death metal for sure will love this effort. The lyrics keep pace with the riffs, the riffs lock in to the beats, and for brief moments during this album, Rise to Sky remind of Gothic-era Paradise Lost – minimalist, going slow, then fast, then back again, while melodic solos occasionally provide nuance. The music creates a bleak atmosphere and offers a certain kind of melancholic beauty. Symphonic elements are always present in the background giving the whole affair an epic character. Each track has a clearly defined build-up making use of eerie yet breathtaking harmonies often culminating in an epic conclusion. Soft and mellow parts are used to create a dense atmosphere by being cleverly woven into the crawling riff attacks and the overall picture.
The production is powerful with the mix perfectly balancing a certain rawness and much needed clarity. The guitars are crunchy without burying the symphonic details. While the growls are deep and beastly each word can be perfectly understood. Rounded of by an atmospheric and mystic cover artwork this album should be worth a look for any fan of dark and crawling metal. Rise to Sky are surely a name to remember and as far as I am concerned “Let Me Drown with You” is nothing less than one of the best doom metal albums I have heard over the past years. Wonderful stuff.