SUNSET FORSAKEN is a one man melodic death/doom band from Ukraine, the mastermind being Andrey Tollock.  "85 Nerves" is his second full length album under the moniker. The album has four songs but at 44 minutes in length, it is still a full length album with the songs being on the longer side; none of them are under ten minutes in length.  This hits the sweet spot for this style of metal; the songs are long enough to allow for the depth they need to grow but not overly long that would lead to boredom.

The sorrowful, down trodden feel of the doom aspects are nailed down pretty well but there are more than enough melodies and harmonies that pop out against the dark musical back drop for this album to appeal equally to fans of melodic death. Andrey's vocals are a nicely balanced death growl that ranges from guttural lows to mid range, higher pitched growls/screams.  He also does some clean vocals, in the form of spoken word.

The opening track, "Dulcet Amnesia," makes a fine example of what the rest of the album holds and sets the stage early on for the sound Andrey is going for.  A heavy riff drops like a stone at the song's first second and drums crash behind like thunder.  The growls come in next, backed by melodic guitars.  The song's myriad harmonies and leads lend the song a doom infused neoclassical feel, like early CHILDREN OF BODOM but more subtle.

"Through The Moon I've Seen The Sorrow Born," cuts deep right away with a biting, emotional guitar solo.  It is soon absorb by the bass and vocals, which later turn into a spoken word passage.  I actually think putting those in the songs helps them as it boosts in the atmosphere into a more story driven mentality.  This song is drenched with a lot of melancholy and Gothic textures stand out with the way the guitar melodies intertwine with the vocals.

The third track, "The Ebony Chasm Of Despair," is my favorite on the album.  I love how the vocals are just sort of vomited up over the depressing guitar.  The song progresses well, the lead guitar seamlessly taking over for the riffs, which in turn have another go of it around the 2:45 mark.  The bass near the song's last couple of minutes is the best part of the song, standing out on its own while complimenting everything that came before it with similar themes.

The final track, "85 Nerves," is the longest of the four at nearly twelve minutes in length.  It is also the one that makes the guitar melodies work the most for the song.  They seem to tell as much of the song as the vocals do, sharing the stage to present an emotional and impact laden song.  From 8:54 all the way to the end is an instrumental passage that is slick as hell.  The drums are very potent here, going for broke and accenting every little note the guitars and bass make.  Parts of this section echo later day MY DYING BRIDE, as the guitar pulls out thick lead melodies that create a sorrowful waltz.

SUNSET FORSAKEN's  "85 Nerves" is a well done album that combines doom, gothic and melodic death into a potent tapestry full of melodies and harmonies all held together by great some writing and musicianship.