I have talked about my love for Hanging Garden in the past, as they have slowly become one of my favorite death-doom bands in recent memory. Their previous record, The Garden, ranked high in my 2023 EOY list, and one of their tracks has been on rotation in one of my playlists for over the last two years. Thus, I am excited to dig deep into their newest EP, The Unending, and see what new wares the band is offering while their forthcoming album is in preproduction.

The Unending starts with the atmospheric “To Seize the Night”, which picks up right after where The Garden ended. The music itself feels much darker than what we got with tracks like “The Resolute” and “The Fireside”, as if moving away from the lighter side of melancholy. Granted, their previous album ended on a slower note, deeply embedded into the band’s doom aesthetic, so there should be no surprise that “To Seize the Night” feels heavier than “The Resolute”. However, Hanging Garden incorporated melody into “To Seize the Night”, adding a certain lightness to the overall atmosphere the track conveys.

Then, it picks up with the faster, uplifting “The Passage”, where Riika Hatakka’s vocals shine as the introduction to what sounds like a death metal-esque track. Gone are the darker overtones of the previous track; here, the band can showcase their ability to switch off between death and doom without breaking a sweat. This switch-off slows the transitional speed between these two tracks, but it’s made up by how different the music sounds. “The Passage” is also incredibly heavy and groovy, making you want to headbang along to the music even if this is not your preferred version of death-doom.

Then, there’s “Morgan’s Trail”, a track that shows an expansion of Hanging Garden’s melodic palette. In a way, this song shows the band moving away from the themes they explored on their previous album. This song sounds like a taste of what’s to come in the band’s sonic evolution, a potential introduction to their next album. It seems the band took notes from their label mates October Tide, making a track that emphasizes tempo and melody rather than atmosphere and melody. All the elements that make Hanging Garden stand out are on this track, but have chosen to showcase something new and fresh within this EP.

Of course, one of the things I always enjoy about Hanging Garden is their ability to seamlessly shift between their hybrid genres, while also providing references to their previous material. For example, last track “The First Sunrise” is a cross between “The Fire at First Dawn” and “The Fireside” – it has the atmosphere of the first track and the tempo and melancholy of the second track. “The First Sunrise” combines elements from both tracks to create this sort of perfect sonic marriage that not only closes the EP, but it shows that, despite new material, the band is committed to their sound and overall aesthetic.

All in all, The Unending gives Hanging Garden the opportunity to explore new facets and sounds on a smaller scale rather than just spoon-feeding them to the listener. It also adds to the themes the band previously explored on The Garden, expanding on their overall concept and adding to its inherent mystery. If you previously enjoyed The Garden and are looking forward to see where the band goes, then you will appreciate The Unending and the delightful sights it has to offer.

–Hera

---

The Unending is available March 14 on Agonia Records. For more information on Hanging Garden, visit their official Facebook and Instagram.