RISE TO THE SKY is a Chilean one man band, a melodic death/doom project from mastermind Sergio G. "Let Me Drown With You," is RISE TO THE SKY's third full length album. Since forming in 2019, Sergio has been rather prolific; in addition to the full lengths, he has also released two EPs and two compilation albums. I reviewed the previous full length and EP, both of which left a lasting impression on me. But "Let Me Drown With You" is a level above the other releases.  RISE TO THE SKY's music is drenched in melancholic melodies but never has it been more focused as it is presented across this album's nine track 54 minute run time.

I am really thrilled about how well the songs are pieced together.  The previous two releases, specifically the full length, had the keys up high in the mix where they tended to overpower everything else. With this album, they are still a very important aspect but aren't so much the center of attention. There is also much more variety on the type of atmospheric sounds the keys lay down. This band isn't really about riffs per say but this time the guitar isn't as buried under the keys. I loved how everything worked so well together in the past but I will admit is nice to hear much more confidence in the individual performances of each instrument.

This also makes the album rather crushing and sweltering to go along with the melancholic sadness.  Now we get an album that brings the gloom but also the darkness along those edges. The bass is much more audible now and it goes a long way in giving their sound a much needed solid foundation. And Sergio's vocals continue to impress. He gets frighteningly deep on these songs, his voice coming from a physical place but also an intangible emotional anchor as well. The man himself said this album was made in trying times and dedicated to his father who passed away.....his pain, his longing can definitely not only be heard but felt.

The first track, "See Me Fall Down" opens with a blanket of epic but funeral keyboards. It sounds expansive yet pensive. The drums, which hit harder this time around and join in on creating atmosphere, highlights this strangely beautiful open. The death growls kick in along with melodic guitar and the whole song comes together.
From 4:30 onward the guitars and keys work together providing different styles of doing so. The riffs are heavy and thick, ramming through the veil while the keys are sweeping, building up the intensity and reaching for climax.

The title track, "Let Me Drown With You," has a dynamic open. The guitars are clean and moving while the keys are more subtle, gently moving alongside the guitar. The bass holds down the low end to maintain the doom and ominous tones. And how good are Sergio's death growls! I can feel his pain and frustration and how he "sings" along with the lead guitar melodies has such emotional weight and impact. About three fourths of the way through, the song takes a quiet, introspective route with spoken word that perfectly bridges to the next, distortion laden passage.

"Leaving This World," is somewhat ambient with the first minute and half being a keyboard centered landscape, littered here and there by drums. It is wholly effective in setting the tone of the song which uses simple  but hard hitting guitar and bass to accent the tapestry laid down by the keys and drums. All these seemingly sparse elements come together for a classic example of doom metal's "less is more approach." This song is slow, encompassing and exactly what I look for in this style of doom.

"Bury Me In Your Heart," kind of reminds me of their previous album, especially with the melodies. It is a great throwback that ties the band's history together. But RISE TO THE SKY is ever moving forward. This song does as well because from the very beginning it grows and stretches outward as a living creature. The songs mid section is damn near tear jerking, what with the acoustics and keys. In a very organic fashion, this movement returns back to the doom and gloom.

"Let Me Drown With You," is definitely the bands best work. Sergio continues to prove his song writing mettle while consistently eclipsing his self after each subsequent release. There have already been a handful of great doom releases this year and this album takes its place next to them. I suspect that at some point in his career, Sergio will release a modern day doom classic because he just gets better and better.