Our April 2023 Album of the Month selection is Air Not Meant for Us, the phenomenal sophomore full-length from the quickly ascending melodic death/doom metal project known as Fires in the Distance. Forming in 2016, the band’s debut came four years later in Echoes from Deep November – a fine beginning that piqued a measurable amount of interest. Their second album displayed incredible maturation and growth, showcasing a band who have finely tuned their approach to blow away the expectations of even their most ardent supporters, as stated in our Daniel Barkasi’s review:
With this album, Fires in the Distance has evolved into the special act we knew they could become. The band have evolved and refined their songwriting chops, addressing every area that needed tweaking, all while sharpening their strong points into an unstoppable force. Air Not Meant for Us is a soulful, emotionally tinged tapestry of purposeful music painstakingly crafted with care and top tier musicianship. This masterwork will be in the rotation for the foreseeable future, and is destined to be a candidate for many end of year lists. One can only imagine where they will go next.
Read the entire review here, as well as our recent interview with drummer Jordan Rippe here.