Missed Album Review: Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us

Style: melodic death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Insomnium, Shylmagaghnor, Be’Lakor, Swallow the Sun, Countless Skies
Review by: Andy
Country: Connecticut, United States
Release date: 28 April 2023

In days of yore, melodic death metal gave young Andrew—yes, so long ago he didn’t yet go by Andy—a glimmer in his eye, and Amon Amarth was surely the soundtrack for his first chest hair sprouting out while he yelped out the most masculine warrior bellow ever heard. Drawn toward the strange dichotomy of pretty melodies and gruff harsh vocals—and ideally some blast beats as the cherry on top—he could never possibly grow sick of the style: music had surely peaked with Be’Lakor. Many years later, and jaded Andy scoffs at melody. I have transcended such remedial musical needs as being “pleasant”; I snort up “unlistenable” avant-garde black metal and whatever freaky noise Tim sends my way like the bear in Cocaine Bear snorts cocaine; I shirk away from that which once seemed to be the unarguable pinnacle of music. Occasionally, though, an album has such euphonic melodiousness that I am forced to remember how superior a dulcet guitar lead can be.

Fires in the Distance filled Air Not Meant for Us chock full of sonorous, mellifluous leads which saturate each song with more ear candy than the surgeon general recommends for a month; however, the rich rhythm section and somber, rainy-day atmosphere prevent the whole thing from being too saccharine for my taste. I crave the melodies across Air Not Meant for Us like I’m fourteen years old just getting into metal for the first time. Skip to any part of the album, and the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of hearing a bombastic guitar part, a cute little piano lead while the guitars chug a bit more death-y in riffage style, or a heart-wrenching, harmonized guitar solo.

The opener, “Harbingers,” is on the song o’ the year shortlist precisely because of its scrumptious, euphoric melodies and harmonies. From its rainy piano intro and first humongous guitar swell to solos like those at 7:40, Yegor Savonin and Kristian Grimaldi show they aren’t the flashiest guitar players in the world, but their sense for what sounds appropriate both apart and together is absolutely astounding. I have listened to this song on repeat to be re-baptized in melodic guitar parts and darling piano bridges each time.

Many an album has had a stellar instrumental highlight without being cohesive as a full sound, but Fires in the Distance expertly add some heft to ground the soaring guitars and piano. Breathable, airy production of the treble parts allows the more mid and bass heavy instruments to boast a deep, doom-y weight. The drumming, bass, and rhythm guitar all chug along as a perfect accompaniment for the higher pitch solo instruments to shine, neither too distracting nor too bland. Craig Breitsprecher and Kristian Grimaldi’s harsh vocals are suited extremely well for the music, too, a crystal clear deep growl reminiscent of Geroge Kosmas (Be’Lakor). Along with the powerful, reverberant depths of sound from the low end, Fires in the Distance have really struck a fantastic balance between heft and lightness for melodeath with their formula and production. 

While Air Not Meant for Us endlessly throws enchanting moments at the listener, I think a bit of variation would go a long way. “Adrift, Beneath the Listless Waves” picks up the pace from a doomier crawl into a more traditional melodeath gallop, and the tracks change up the song structure a bit among themselves, but for the most part, Air Not Meant for Us is a lot of a band knowing what works well and exhausting the idea. Their schtick is done convincingly enough that I hardly care, but adding in occasional cleans a lá Countless Skies or perhaps some other appropriately honeyed instrument like the cello could elevate them to dizzying heights.

Of course my intro is playing into the bit a tad; I still understand the intrinsic power of a perfect melody, but I have grown tired of the genre, finding the vast majority of albums to be pitifully uninspired. Fires in the Distance have transcended that to create a wonderful listening experience that’s appropriate for 2023’s final breaths and the new year fast approaching.

Recommended tracks: Harbingers, Crumbling Pillars of a Tranquil Mind
You may also like: Hinayana, Atavistia, Ocean of Grief, Enshine, Cold Insight, Slumber
Final verdict: 8.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Prosthetic Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Fires in the Distance is:
– Craig Breitsprecher (vocals, bass)
– Jordan Rippe (drums)
– Yegor Savonin (guitars, synths)
– Kristian Grimaldi (guitars, vocals)