It took thirteen years, but now it's finally here - the new album of IN SLUMBER. In their usual old manner, the Upper Austrian band, fronted by Wolfgang Rothbauer, continue with their direct Melodic Death Metal style on their fourth full-length "While We Sleep." "They don't follow any trends and skillfully show that you don't really need them for a good album." The album contains nine tracks.

"Clairvoyance" leads off the assault. It begins with a little melody in the guitars that leads to an all-out assault, especially in the drums and vocals. The chorus is full and rich, with more aggressive elements, and the band shows some excellent musicianship. "Stillborn" shows another heavy and aggressive affair, with scratchy guitars and thick bass notes. Solemn tones come in after the chorus, and so far, there is a good balance between these two elements. "Parasomnia" begins with a slower and more sober grind, and the harmonies in the guitar work are spot on. The clean section after the second chorus brings a little diversity to the album.

"The Lake of Visions" opens with another powerful grind and excellent drumming from Flo. This song almost has a Black Metal feeling to it, from that familiar one-two step of the guitar riff. They grind out the song with passion and weight. "Sleep Paralysis" begins with another commanding riff that speaks of majesty and dead kings. As it moves forward, the roar gets more powerful, until a fade out at the end. "Manacle of Dogma" opens with another slow and solemn sound, both melodic and dominant. The lack of clean vocals (for the most part) really doesn't seem to be taking anything away from the music so far, which is impeccably performed.

"Subconscious Scars" is another slow and solemn groove with plenty of punch. The duo plays very well with one another, and the drums are the key to a lot the might that they get from the songs. It hits you like a ton of bricks. The quick "A Moral of Strain" closes the album, with another commanding roar. A lot can happen in thirteen years. Although the Melodic Death Metal genre has become saturated with a lot of bands as of the last couple decades, give some of your time to IN SLUMBER. Not only do they play with a lot of passion, but the songs are as melodic as they are crushing, and Wolfgang seems to know what he is doing when it comes to songwriting. This was an excellent album top to bottom.