Sorrowful Land - Hiraeth - review
Sorrowful Land - Hiraeth - review
Tracklist
01. The Day Is Past And Gone02. Unreachable
03. Dark Trinity
04. Astray
05. In Times Of Endless Nights
06. The Silent Slumber
07. Hiraeth
A review by
AndyMetalFreak October 03, 2025
Sorrowful Land is a one-man death doom project formed in Ukraine, 2014 by the talented multi-instrumentalist Max Molodtsov. The project is largely influenced by the 90s gothic and death doom scene, and this latest offering Hiraeth (the project's fourth full-length to date) is certainly no different, once again demonstrating everything the genre has to offer.
Hiraeth is a 7-track, dark metaphorical journey that clocks in at almost an hour in length. The lyrical themes reflect mostly on one's thoughts and emotions, which goes hand-in-hand with the music's mesmerizing melancholic atmosphere that puts the listener's mood in such a grim and sorrowful state. The lyrics are poetically performed by a widely diverse vocal range consisting of tortuous growls, passionate cleans, haunting whispers, and screams of desperation. The slow/mid-tempo compositions are crafted by mournful weeping leads intertwining with powerful doom riffs that are as equally catchy as they are crushing, which is then guided competently by the thunderous, pulsating rhythm section. Melancholic strings and piano arrangements are then added for an even more sorrowful experience.
Overall, this is far from the most original of approaches, but the guitar work stands out as some of the finest I've heard in death doom throughout the whole of 2025. In general, the melodies are crafted superbly, and the same could be said for the keys, which give the album a real boost in melancholia and atmosphere. I do believe the album starts off really well, and that consistency seems to flow right through to the final two tracks. However, this is where I feel the album starts to lose its edge. It's not that these last two songs are bad, as the atmosphere and melodies on both songs can be just as stunning as what's been heard on the album up to that point, but I just feel they become a touch too repetitive, and start to lose their momentum due to their length, especially when compared with the songs prior.
The biggest factor that stands out above all for me is the production. It lives up to modern standards, and is mixed almost to perfection, where every element has a powerful presence and punchy sound. This allows the listener to fully immerse themselves in the music and soak in the atmosphere, and the lyrics speak to you more profoundly due to the clean and powerful vocal presence. It's a very well crafted album overall, especially considering the fact it's the work of one man and a few collaborators, but on the grand scale, and when comparing the album to what the likes of Opia, Novembers Doom, Falling Leaves, and Paradise Lost have released this year, I can't say there's anything that necessarily jumps out in your face and makes you think wow, that was something truly special. Sure, it's not short on memorable moments, and the performance is more than admirable, but would I want to return to this album ahead of what stellar albums have been released by other bands in 2025?
All in all, you shouldn't expect any elements of surprise out of Hiraeth, especially when there's countless gothic/death doom bands releasing this kind of material each year, but if you're a genuine fan of the genre, you simply can't go wrong with the melancholia and atmosphere this album is oozing with right up to the end.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 4 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written on 03.10.2025 by
Written on 03.10.2025 by
An honest review that you don't necessarily have to agree with. Comments
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Dis Pater try their masterpiece Princess Of The Emerald Garden
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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