Formed in 2010 and hailing from Germany, Melodic/Progressive/Gothic Metal band GUERILLA TREE have only one other album to their credit, 2012's "Metal Leaps." Fast forward to ten years later, the band is now set to release their second album, titled "Mountain's View," which contains ten tracks. "Misbelief" leads off the album. There is a slow build up to bass notes and a heavy guitar riff. The air is thick and dark, as keyboards join the fold. The vocals are smooth and emotive, while the instrumentation is heavy yet melodic. Progressive elements are there, but the band seems to have found the perfect balance.

"A Cloud" is a shorter piece that shifts between heavy passages with ones that breathe. Lead guitars carry a lot of the melody here. Somber but charming melodies develop, much like the structure of a cloud. It can be thin and wispy, or thick and aggressive. "Fertile Water" opens with a slow grind of guitars and old-school, organ sounding keys. The darker sound might key in on their Gothic elements. "Before you Die" begins with more somber tones that are also so charming and catchy. I love how the vocalist just eases into his parts, with a smooth approach. The sound opens up in the chorus to let the melodies out.

"Spiral Tendrils of Dust" features some hard-hitting melodies out of the gate. The mid-tempo pacing here draws them up and thins them out a little, but the little ambient pause brings your attention back to them once again. "Inhuman" is another longer song that begins with clean guitars and meaty bass notes. Some doleful lead notes carry the tender melody forward, but the pacing is stuck in the mud here. Harsh vocals make their first appearance, but are short lived. They need to get out of this mid-tempo rut. "Black Soul" is another slow song that focuses on the development of soft but melancholic melodies. Brief harsh vocals are here again, but at this point in the album, the band needs so switch things up. They are throwing their only life raft into the ocean and it could be their last chance.

"Mountain Reflection" abruptly brings the album out of its rut. The tempo remains the same but the heaviness of the riffs is punishing. Catchy melodies develop under their weight. "Form of Life" is another mid-tempo song, and I think what the album lacks most at this point is dynamism. Too many of the songs have that same pace and longing quality, and there is very little break from it. "The Life History of a Tree" closes the album. It's a melancholy offering that gives you pause to reflect. Consider the history of a tree, all the things it has seen and lived through, and you get the point.

This is unfortunately an album that continued to get worse as it went on. At first, I enjoyed the melodies and sad quality of the music. But one mid-tempo track after another, after another, after another really ruined any chance the album had to get off the ground. The band are good musicians, but maybe in the ten years that have passed since their last album, they lost a step, because a lot of the album just sounds uninspired and lacks energy.