Every once in a while in the life of an obsessive music hoarder he comes across a band which he had never heard of which inspires him with awe immediately upon hearing them and three seconds into listening to them he knows he had discovered a special gem, this was my case with THE LIVING FIELDS. "Running Out of Daylight" is THE LIVING FIELDS's third album and it is so grand that I don't even know how to begin describing it but I will give it my best shot.

The band's music is considered to be somewhere along the lines of Doom Metal but their music is so rich with influences and styles is far more epic than any Doom Metal band I have ever heard. When you lose yourself within this album you will find yourself helplessly thrown into an epic medieval saga and the journey is ever so tantalizing and filled with intensity and emotion I have personally never encountered an album that feels even remotely like this one. It is an experience that is really not something that one can describe in words but there are some elements that can be broken down and observed individually that help understand how the magic of this album was conjured.

For starters I would like to point out the versatility which embodies itself in each and every aspect of this album, starting with the large variety of instruments used in this effort including cello, piano, viola, acoustic guitars alongside the obvious standard instruments. This is also portrayed in the range of musical styles that can be found here like Black, Viking, Heavy, Thrash and Doom Metal as I've already mentioned, accordingly the vocals also have a wide range. The main two styles practiced here are standard low key singing in the silent parts and dramatic high pitched vocals in the epic parts but there are also growling and screaming lines in the heavier moments and there are even more singing styles occasionally being used but I will not divulge further.

This leads me to another great degree of this album. Each song has its very own unique musical and atmospheric build up, every song explores a variety of musical realms. For example a song that started as a silent and mellow will change its pace and direction numerous times throughout its length yet every development will seem natural and necessary to the song's purpose. Each song leads to the next with the same sense of natural progress resulting in an album that feels perfectly whole.

Another thing that astonished me about this release is the musical intelligence that is pouring through it. First of all the riffs themselves are composed to perfection and seem to have each sound in them being deeply thought out, but beyond that each and every sound receives the breathing space that is deserves enabling it to really soak in the listener's mind. This notion is further emphasized by the great production of this album in which every sound is being heard crystal clear and absolutely nothing gets swallowed in the mix. The lyrics are also written with considerable skill and they serve the purpose of the songs as they should but they are not in league with the musicianship of the album.

I can go on and on about how great this album is but as I've already stated words can't really describe it. I believe that anyone who likes atmosphere in his Metal simply must try it and see for himself how mind blowing it is. This is without a doubt my album of the year.