Born in 2020, Swedish act Thermality slowly released a series of singles before independently issuing their debut album Before I Get to Rest in 2023 and follow-up EP Tales From the North in the same year. Striking while the iron is hot, they sought out renowned producer Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman to record their second full-length The Final Hours. And for those in the know with this site’s love of melodic death metal, these tracks represent another fierce example of the style’s longevity – absorbing the influences of those 90’s/early 2000’s pioneers while giving certain aspects a bit more of a modern punch.
Immediately noticeable are the key driving riffs and supplementary guitar melody/harmony runs that galvanize the music into hook-laden bedlam. Check out the steady, crunchy mid-tempo rhythms and uplifting circular note combinations for “Thorns of Salem” as an example of taking In Flames circa The Jester Race / Whoracle -era into the current scene, vocalist Ludvig Sommar straddling his growls and death screams with this extra extreme level to punctuate key phrases into evil parameters. Distant keyboard aspects also provide a bit of a Dark Tranquillity vibe during “Stranger”, while the Viking/Amon Amarth atmosphere clearly comes into focus through “Windigo”, the rhythm section complimenting those epic riffs that ready listeners for any battle march escapades they choose to partake in. The emphasis on bass/drum grooves also aids the cause for easier listener retention – be it slower and steady during “Clones” or upping the energy in classic melodic death metal style within spots of the anthem-oriented “The Guardian”. Acoustic guitar interplay serves as an aural reprieve in the intro to “Divinity Part 1”, another nod to early In Flames as guitarists Walter Hamilton and Noel Hoflund Jonsson weave finger tapestry through a series of tasty riffs and exhilarating harmony extensions.
We all know the pioneers have expanded upon their early influences into broader directions – so Thermality could be one of those newer, younger artists hungry to be picked up as a welcome addition to the ever-growing popularity again for melodic death metal. The Final Hours has all the requisite sharp hooks, killer vocal passages, and long-term appeal to be an underground (to above) favorite this year and beyond.