Foreboding and reassuring, complex without unnecessary complication, Lost to the Living is easily recognisable as Daylight Dies, building on the dark and depressive eloquence established on two earlier albums and a long out-of-print EP. Lost to the Living also broadens the bands vocabulary, layering and interweaving an even larger accumulation of experience and inspiration against a gloomy metal base. Barre Gamblings lead guitar emerges as the albums dominant voice, despite the gruff reverberation of Nathan Elliss growls (and the clean vocal tones of bassist Egan ORourke throughout two tracks). But as youd expect from Daylight Dies, even their six-string wizardry is held in check, a counterpoint to a rhythm section that always hints at power restrained, subdued but ever-ready violence. The space created by this restraint is filled with potential, pervading even the visual imagery containing such spacious sounds. The record is slow, contemplative but vibrant with energy. Each song contrasts comfortable melodies against dissonant harmonies, smooth textures (including string and woodwind accompaniment) against edgy distortion, constantly moving toward a climax that never erupts. Deceptively heavy, Lost to the Living abounds in uncertainties, the self-assuredness of Daylight Dies never producing any easy answers.
Did you feel pressured to follow-up on Dismantling Devotions success?
Drummer Jesse Haff: We worked intensely and steadily on Lost to the Living after touring but we never felt rushed. Thankfully we didnt have the problems we had between No Reply and Dismantling Devotion, such as member and label changes [adding Ellis and second guitarist Charlie Shackelford, switching from Relapse to Candlelight]. Were all proud of Dismantling but we felt confident we could raise the bar and continue to push our music where we wanted. Were very happy with the result.
"The Morning Light exemplifies the albums character. It also has a complementary stripped-down visual aesthetic. Whats the relationship?
"Less is more is a mantra we always strive for and "The Morning Light achieves that. It has an organic character and is probably one of the more simple songs on the album. Every note and chord change is important.
And the artwork?
I wanted something that stood out. Instead of the grunge or elaborate ornate look that many in metal are using now, we went the opposite direction. Layout is important to me, so each image corresponds to the song and the album as a whole. You can often say more with less.
(Candlelight)Did you feel pressured to follow-up on Dismantling Devotions success?
Drummer Jesse Haff: We worked intensely and steadily on Lost to the Living after touring but we never felt rushed. Thankfully we didnt have the problems we had between No Reply and Dismantling Devotion, such as member and label changes [adding Ellis and second guitarist Charlie Shackelford, switching from Relapse to Candlelight]. Were all proud of Dismantling but we felt confident we could raise the bar and continue to push our music where we wanted. Were very happy with the result.
"The Morning Light exemplifies the albums character. It also has a complementary stripped-down visual aesthetic. Whats the relationship?
"Less is more is a mantra we always strive for and "The Morning Light achieves that. It has an organic character and is probably one of the more simple songs on the album. Every note and chord change is important.
And the artwork?
I wanted something that stood out. Instead of the grunge or elaborate ornate look that many in metal are using now, we went the opposite direction. Layout is important to me, so each image corresponds to the song and the album as a whole. You can often say more with less.
