UMUR
"Running Out of Daylight" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US doom metal act The Living Fields. The album was released in July 2011 by Candlelight Records.
The music on the album is epic and melodic doom metal. Lead vocalist Jonathan Higgs display an impressive vocal range and masters many different vocal styles. He can both deliver some really raw and screaming type vocals but also more subdued mid-range vocals. Occasionally there are growling vocals in the music too, but they are not the dominant singing style. There are often layers of harmony vocals and choirs in the music which provides an epic edge to the sound (there´s a slight nod towards Blind Guardian here). The addition of strings to the basic instrumentation of drums, guitar and bass, also add another dimension to the band´s sound. It´s the songwriting that set The Living Fields apart from the more standard acts in the genre though. The tracks are very dynamic with both bombastic epic parts and beautiful softer parts and that combination works like a charm. True to tradition most of the tracks on the 8 track, 61:18 minutes long album are very long (the longest being the 16:43 minutes long closing title track), but The Living Fields skillfully lead their audience through one well written and intriguing doom metal track after the other.
"Running Out of Daylight" is a very strong doom metal release to my ears. However while the musicianship is strong and the songwriting clever and intriguing, I think the sound production drags the album down slightly. It´s nothing serious, but the production could definitely have sounded heavier and more professional. Honestly it´s a bit thin sounding, especially the guitar sound. That slight issue aside it´s safe to say I´m very impressed by "Running Out of Daylight". The Living Fields have really found a sound that is unmistakably their own and even though I hear influences from acts such as My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and November´s Doom here and there, those influences are not in any way dominant. I find "Running Out of Daylight" to be a highly recommendable doom metal release and a 4 - 4.5 star rating is fully deserved.