Ten years ago, The Man-Eating Tree put out their third album, In the Absence of Light. Last year, the band debuted a new line-up, with the only remaining member was that of guitarist Janne Markus (Poisonblack). With new members with a resume to now include acts such as Entwine, Mors Subita, and Ghost Brigade, there is definitely a ‘wow factor,’ particularly that of vocalist Manne Ikonen, whose voice has been sorely missed since the departure of Ghost Brigade in 2020. Night Verses has high expectations, but it had no problems smashing through them and unleashing the most impressive piece of gothic/doom so far in 2025.
To this scribe, it’s really hard to discuss Night Verses without mentioning the impact of Ikonen’s vocals on it. It’s an absolute treat to hear him screaming and singing his way through this type of material again. His menacing but digestible roars and distinct gothic crooning fits The Man-Eating Tree to a tee. Those raw emotions power cuts like “All our Shadows” in providing a certain gloom and visceral energy in the right frequency. Lumbering grooves and airy melodies float about through them, rumbling enough to keep it heavy enough to touch the doom scale, while the yearning in the atmosphere and guitar melodies make the melancholy both urgent and completely enthralling. Ikonen’s vocals over the chorus elevate it into something truly special to behold, laden with hooks and memorable rock catchiness.
There’s a good mixture of songs that run for extended lengths and those that go for more of a straight-forward attack. “Days Under the Dark” fits the former side of things, and operates with it’s 7-minute runtime to effectively build up the atmosphere until it fills to the brim when the chorus breaks. Dark electronic melodies offer a hand along the way as a way of foreboding and it really hits a brilliant peak around the 6-minute mark as it soars into gloomy wonder. “Reflections” is an almost 10-minute slow burn, bringing up the sound to an eventual mammoth level of crushing riffs, bolstered by some monstrous roars by Ikonen. The serene outro makes for an excellent way to exit the album. On the other end, “Seer” has that straight-ahead groove to it that is sure to get heads banging, while the chorus operates with some beautiful guitar melodies and singing. It’s a more visceral cut from the album, and pairs as a nice opposite to the more downtrodden gothic rock of “Ruins of Insanity.” The hooks on that one are bound to grab you and stick in your head for quite some time.
The Man-Eating Tree offer a triumphant return and an incredible potential pathway forward. Night Verses captures some gloomy magic in a bottle between it’s crushing doom and gloom and triumphant ‘beauty in sorrow’ melodies that hook the listener at every possible opportunity along the way. Hearing Manne Ikonen’s signature vocals is no doubt a major plus, but it’s the sweeping and magnificent melancholy behind him that’s going to equally latch onto you. This is a fresh and innovative restart that’s only bound to get even stronger and more impressive as it continues to move ahead. But for now, enjoy Night Verses as a particularly strong entry into emotive gothic/doom territory.
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