Nobody does Doom Metal quite like Sweden. Yes, Sweden gave the world Candlemass so a precedent was set right there, but since then this great country has given the Metal world so many more striking bands under that Doom-soaked umbrella. Even when they put a slightly different take on it, like Memory Garden do, it’s still seems so recognisably Swedish. Memory Garden have an Epic Power-Doom thing going on, as they always have over their 6 full-length albums in 25 years. Swedish Power-Doom had only a few exponents back in the day – Candlemass on “Chapter VI”, Memento Mori, Abstrakt Algebra…OK, basically bands with Candlemass connections – but standing alone were Memory Garden, doing their thing, sounding comparable to the above bands, but very much their own beast, devoid of any Candlemass affiliations. Oh alright, Guitarist Simon Johansson was in Abstrakt Algebra and drummer Tom Bjorn was in Memento Mori, both bands featuring ex-Candlemass members – but none of Memory Garden were actually IN Candlemass!
To be honest, Memory Garden 2021 aren’t too dissimilar to how they sounded 20 years ago, just more refined, more polished and more mature. As this album progresses, more Swedish bands swim into view – Grand Magus in Memory Garden’s more straight-edged Metal moments, Tad Morose when the double-kick pushes forward, even Veni Domine in the progressively-edged time changes. Vocally, because Memory Garden have been doing this for so long, they just blend those faintly reminiscent Messiah Marcolin/Robert Lowe style vocal lines into Memory Garden vocalist Stephan Berglund’s uniquely identifiable delivery, throw in some smooth, layered hooks and choruses and see where it leads.
The riff is king of course, it wouldn’t be Swedish Doom (or Power-Doom) if it wasn’t and riffs of the highest order are liberally scattered throughout “1349”. I want to use the word smooth again, because that’s what every song on this album is – yes it’s mixed expertly by Dan Swano, but he can only give this the luxurious resonance it delivers with the basic means to do so. The songs chop and change in tempo…but never really appear to, they just glide effortlessly from one excellent segment to another, intelligently arranged and maturely executed. Memory Garden have always (and still do) had a more uptempo feel than say, classic Candlemass – hence the “Chapter VI” reference – so therefore they occupy a ground that is really theirs alone. Maybe there are a few other bands doing a similar style to this around the world nowadays, but even though it’s 8 years since their previous release, still nobody does it quite as comprehensively and ‘Swedishly’ as Memory Garden.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
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