Review by TheOneNeverSeen on July 18, 2023.

I was very lucky to learn about this new melodeath band (after a few seconds of 'Mira' I knew I was a fan), which, despite not moving away from the classic Gothenburg sound much, manages to offer entertaining melodies with an uneven atmosphere on their debut EP. I will go as far as to say The Umbra is the best melodeath release I have heard in a while, mostly due to successfully embedding all the key traits of the genre and not making the melodies too uniform or predictable.

After a pretty atmospheric, even partly melancholic at first intro 'Wraith' (from which one can already tell the guitar and the bass are going to be clean, yet not overly so, possessing just enough intensity) the album strikes you with the aforementioned catchy intro of 'Mira'. The track, despite being short, features a few tempo changes (even a short breakdown), solid, diverse drumming, fast, energetic riffs and slower-paced melodic guitar passages. Basically, a perfect song to get acquainted with the band. Other songs are written in a different fashion, but all possess unexpected elements such as the intense drumming with the other instruments fading by the end of 'Rise' or the slow atmospheric "While We Sleep"-like (but more aggressive) passage in the middle of 'Fear', reflecting the band's creativity. All songs aside from 'Doom' which I didn't like as much due to way too many elements joined not in the best way possible have immensely catchy At the Gates/Amon Amarth-y riffs that any fan of the genre is likely to enjoy. Thus, consistency-wise, the EP is nearly flawless. The feelings of the songs vary from the pre-apocalyptic tension of 'Rise' to the epic intensity of 'Fear' and anguish and uncertainty of 'Doom'.

Chance's highs seem to mostly have been inspired by Trevor Strnad and Heljarmadr of Dark Funeral (especially on 'Vessel'), while the inspiration source for his lows is hard to identify (they remind me a little bit of Alexi Laiho's lows). His phantom-like (haha) singing fits the band's sound perfectly, adding to its grim spirit. I can say the same of the EP's sinister lyrics that I enjoyed a lot the imagery of, especially those of 'Fear' and 'Vessel'.

To wrap up, The Umbra is an excellent melodic death metal EP, in which various moods and songwriting elements are blended, creating a very solid and promising work. Everything from the cover to the song titles feels mysterious and exciting, just like the majority of the tracks.

Rating: 9 out of 10