The Living Fields – Running Out of Daylight

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The second album from the multi-national The Living Fields – and first for Candlelight – is an interesting album that certainly rewards the patient listener. With its doom-influenced tone, slow and brooding tempo and rather lengthy songs, Running Out of Daylight really isn’t an album for those wanting quick, instant metal fixes. This is an album that truly focuses on its atmosphere, invoking images of medieval Britain in all its grimness. Much of the album’s flavour is conveyed by heavy use of a string quartet in conjunction with the guitar, sometimes even overriding it, giving the album a very rich texture. The very varied use of vocal styles, ranging from death metal growling, through to traditional metal singing and more sombre, monotone droning, add to this atmosphere. The album, more so than many others, really requires time to grow and mature with the listener. The first song, Remnant, isn’t a particularly strong opener and it isn’t until later in the album that the album’s fuller tone really takes shape, from the more rocky Perseverance, through the acoustic, medieval When The Walls Go Up, to the album’s lengthy conclusion on the album’s title track. It is a deep, thoughtful and progressive record that will certainly alienate a great deal of listeners, but those more inclined to enjoy darker moods, historical context and lengthy contemplations may find the record holds much more value.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, Albums, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, The Living Fields