HellLight – We, the Dead Review

Before diving deeper, I did some digging, about each song, and they all convey a unique narrative that collectively folds into a single story. In this review, I will deviate from my usual approach and (somewhat) provide thoughts on each track along with an overview. We, the Dead is not an easy stroll in the park. Each song effectively develops slow-building emotional arcs, often exceeding ten minutes in length (except for track four), and should not be overlooked or skipped.

Creating a feeling of a heaviness upon the listener — a cosmic sorrow and spiritual desolation. Listeners are invited to meditate on suffering, grief, darkness, sorrow, being, and silence—it’s music composed for contemplation, not therapy.

The moment the listener hits the play button, they are welcomed by the opening track, Echoes Of Eons, which unfolds with a languid tone, powerful riffs, and dark synth layers. The lyrics evoke a sense of eternal sorrow, enveloping the listener in an expansive soundscape that merges deep growls with haunting melodies and vocals, capturing the spirit of funeral doom. As the journey progresses into the second track, As a Fading Sun We Lie…

As a Fading Sun We Lie, we subject ourselves to a journey that focuses on the deterioration and the inevitable passing of time. The music is marked by a sorrowful guitar melody and sombre piano harmonies, crafting a contemplative ambiance that encourages deep reflection. The third piece, Desperate City, amplifies the album’s emotional gravity. This composition intertwines powerful riffs with haunting melodies, expressing a deep sense of pain and yearning. The dynamic interaction between the instruments and vocals adds layers of richness to the track.

Moving to the fourth song, where we can lift our head above the waves and catch a mouthful of hope. We, the Dead (Interlude), is a moment of relief. It’s an arrangement of brief time, with ambient sounds, clean vocals and fragile melodies, offering a transition space that leads the listener to the subsequent songs.

As we approach the final three compositions, we encounter the fifth track, As Daylight Fade. This song features the enchanting vocals of Heike Langhans, (of Remina and :LOR3L3I:) who has also worked with Swedish Gothic/Doom band Draconian. Her soulful voice beautifully augments the sound of the band, giving it a haunting beauty. The song delves into the themes of diminishing light and the advancing shadows, both in the physical and metaphorical sense. The sixth track, Obsolete Dreams, plunges into the disillusionment that arises from shattered hopes. The song conveys this in its melancholic tones and slow rhythm, stressing the heaviness of unfulfilled dreams and the relentless march of time. 

HellLight and their album We, the Dead provide the listener with a profound and immersive musical experience, wrapping the listener with elements of doom metal, funeral doom, death metal and gothic metal — thus creating a sorrowful sound, sombre mood and haunting, all within over sixty minutes. Thus, creating a wall of sound, where a fruit of art, instrumental composition and arrangement is captured in a production and sound that is floored to perfection…

This highlights the importance of clarity in layering, allowing synths, drums, bass, guitars, and vocals to each inhabit their own distinct atmospheric realm. The mixing approach focuses on crafting an immersive experience rather than an aggressive one—you don’t merely hear HellLight; you are surrounded by it. Simultaneously, HellLight offers the listener a fruit of art devilmanship—a devilmanship that is flawlessly executed, offering both the listener’s soul and ears a captivating instrumental composition and arrangement. The guitar work creates a deep, melancholic, and sorrowful wall of sound that is heavily distorted, downtuned, and slow.

HellLight’s rhythmic riffs create a foundation of despair, complemented by delicate, pristine melodies infused with chorus effects that evoke deep emotions. The bass serves as a solid backbone, prioritizing weight over melody. The drumming is methodical and leaden, frequently employing rhythms reminiscent of a funeral march. Variations in the cymbals enhance the experience, while the drums play a crucial role in establishing the music’s ritualistic and contemplative tempo. The synths transcend mere background ambiance, emerging as a powerful melodic and emotional element.

The synthesizers seem to serve three distinct roles; the band blends orchestral strings, choirs, organs, and ambient pads, often taking the lead where guitars would typically be. The keyboards evoke a cathedral-like ambiance, enhancing themes of mortality and transcendence. Additionally, the synths act as connectors between tracks or offer cinematic interludes, creating a seamless flow throughout the albums. The vocals, a combination of deep growls and clean, sorrowful melodies, are usually layered together for a powerful dramatic impact.

The vocals, much like the synths, fulfil three distinct roles; the deep, guttural growls are slow and heavy, contributing to the oppressive atmosphere. While the clean vocals are haunting and solemn, and sometimes chant-like, evoking grief and reflection. And finally, the vocals are typically mixed to feel like they’re part of the atmosphere rather than leading it—more like a voice from within the void.

HellLight‘s style of funeral doom is cinematic in scope and spiritually charged. They skilfully combine heaviness and elegance, sadness and beauty, and form and smoothness. Their music crawls along but carries a heavy emotional weight and offers a deeply moving experience for the listener who fully chooses to engage. Among funeral doom, HellLight is one of the most consistent and emotionally resonant bands in the genre.

As the album draws to a close, the final track, The Lass March, beautifully encapsulates the themes woven throughout the record. Its grand composition likely merges all the signature elements of HellLight‘s sound—crushing riffs, ethereal synths, and heartfelt vocals—creating a striking conclusion that resonates long after the last note.

We particularly want to give a shoutout to Alessandro of Coldwinter, for introducing HellLight, and their album We, the Dead. Now, we are going to conclude the review by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.