ALBUM REVIEW: Vemod – Forgetting The Memories

Melancholia and metalcore go hand in hand – an at times extreme reaction to a vague sense of sadness. Marrying the alliteration and elements are Swedish metalcore band FORGETTING THE MEMORIES with their second album, Vemod. Translating to ‘melancholy’, Vemod follows 2016’s Monophobia with ten tracks of dense breakdowns, emotional torment, and wistful brutality.

High guitar melodies slither over Beneath The Creek’s murky opening. Wasting no time with gradual introductions, Bastian Kempe’s growls obliterate everything in his path. FORGETTING THE MEMORIES put the pedal to the metal as juicy riffs bubble beneath the surface of this tumultuous creek. “Hold your breath, dive deep” opens the floor to unexpected cleans at the mid point of this six-minute saga. As it blends with the growls, Beneath The Creek’s chorus has some much needed meat on the bone.

For a record titled ‘melancholy’, there is very little sonic rumination on Vemod. The Lake may open with reflective guitars but it isn’t long until we become submerged in a catchy chug. “It’s like you suffocate me with your absence” marinades within the memories these Swedes want to forget. With this and a softness to the chorus, FORGETTING THE MEMORIES are still keen to show off their proclivity to be heavy. Yet this scream and barrage of noise approach comes at the expense of the overall soundscape they had worked hard to build. This happens again as The Lake filters into a softer interlude, painting the picture of a gloomy but rich scene before the imposing chug slips beneath the surface.

Let’s not forget this band are here for brutality, and they serve it in spades. Coward’s Tongue knocks it out of the park with huge double kicks. Low tuned guitars dwell in their density, allowing for a short lived melody to flicker above the churn. A Voice In The Static uses this heavily emotional soundscape to purge itself. “I will never forgive myself” overflows with torment of a guilt ridden soul. This spirit then throws itself upon a haunting breakdown laced with piano which becomes lost in the static.

While there are some breakout moments in Vemod, it’s difficult to ignore a lot of these songs melt into one. The record goes from zero to a hundred then fails to relent. Cursed Earth declares “I’ll put a flame to a frozen heart” but does little else to thaw us. From Soot’s tasty opening riff prompts us to “feel something else” and is full of promise. It’s the band’s eagerness to come out swinging which leaves them exposed to the sophomore curse.

In a time when the metalcore scene is solid and saturated, there’s a pressure for new offerings to maintain this standard, especially when it comes under scrutiny from the old guard gatekeepers. In this instance, Vemod leaves FORGETTING THE MEMORIES lost in the shuffle for metalcore supremacy.

Rating: 6/10

Vemod is set for release on September 24th via Long Branch Records.

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