31st January 2023

Review: “The Loss Of All Hope” by Ablaze My Sorrow

Perhaps considered one of the lesser lights of heaven, Ablaze My Sorrow have roots that go back three decades to the birth of the Gothenburg Sweden Melodic Death Metal scene. Their initial run from 1993 to 2006 was known for fierce live performances and lyrics exposing inner thoughts and since their return in 2013 they have continued in much the same vein. A pair of critically acclaimed albums in 2016’s “Black” and 2021’s “Among Ashes and Monoliths” confirmed their legacy remained intact and so bassist Anders Brorsson, vocalist Jonas Udd, drummer Alex Bengtsson and axe wielding duo Magnus Carlsson and Dennie Lindén return with “The Loss Of All Hope“. Recorded, mixed and mastered at HoboRec/The End Studios by Ulf Blomberg (Sleepwulf, Adrestia, Diakron) and adorned by artwork from Gogo Melone…

Continuing their journey through the mire with four fresh cuts that are very much the distilled essence of not only what Ablaze My Sorrow have been for the past 30 years but also the very epitome of what the original Melodic Death Metal sound was when it first blessed our ears, “The Loss Of All Hope” is a captivating collection from its bloody start to its bitter end. Opening cut “Transfiguration (The Way of the Strong)” is the tale of a dystopian nightmare with classic genre lead guitar work that inspired the 2003 era of American Metalcore. Clean choruses are sandwiched between vicious unclean verses of endless despair and misanthropic hopelessness with lyrical meloncholic note and classy melodies, the Swedes sounding very much like the kind to inspire bands like It Does Today and As I Lay Dying to pick up their instruments in the first place. Taking up the baton “Boundless” has a glorious tapping section before a dark spoken word moment in between furiously delivered vocals, a powerhouse performance that doesn’t need a clean chorus to hold it together. Unhinged from the very start “Rotten to the Core” roars into life with chugging riffs and powerful percussive battery while having couple of slick Black ‘n Roll moments to give us something a little different. The musicianship is impeccable and while we’ve come to expect nothing less, there have been plenty of examples of bands who have slipped up, growing sloppy in later years. Ablaze My Sorrow don’t allow themselves that opportunity and finish the record on an almighty high with “Enclosed in Crystals of Ice“, the intertwining lead work nothing short of spellbinding. Another tapping section is equally as captivating before Udd drives down the darkness in throat splitting fashion in the final verse. This journey may have reached a milestone but this band are far from done [8.5/10]

Track Listing