Album Review: In Mourning - The Immortal (2025, Supreme Chaos Records)
- Stuart Ball
- Aug 4
- 6 min read
Written: 4th August 2025
Swedish melodic death metal band In Mourning have quietly become a consistent and compelling act, delivering album after album of intense, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant music. Their 2021 release, The Bleeding Veil, was a standout, topping my album of the year list. I finally had the chance to see them live when they supported Insomnium in London in November 2023 and they delivered a flawless performance. So, when the promo copy of their upcoming album The Immortal arrived, it’s fair to say my expectations and levels of excitement were high.
Vocalist and guitarist Tobias Netzell certainly has positive things to say about the album: “This album has the best sounding balance between organic and modern metal I've ever heard. From the very start of the writing process, I had this vision of making the album sound incredible, massive and huge. Kind of a darker tone than previous releases, and like a cold wind blowing throughout the whole record with a slight touch of black metal.”
The album opens with The Immortal, a brief instrumental that is both atmospheric and ominous, setting an unsettling tone for what is to come. First track proper, Silver Crescent signals the arrival of new drummer Cornelius Althammer - on his first recorded material with the band – his thunderous beats crashing down. Intense, attacking staccato riffs grip the listener from the outset and as the first lyrics are growled, we are drawn inexorably into the dynamic world that In Mourning create. Silver Crescent is a stark meditation on emotional collapse, inescapable inner torment and unresolved pain. Like a silver crescent / The rope will cut us by our flaws / We are fading under moon / By the ankles we fall / And after all that we have been through / We still don't know how to let go. In Mourning have long proved to be masters of combining anguish and beauty within their music and Silver Crescent is no exception. The raw delivery of the growled vocals in the first two verses sits in delightful juxtaposition to the exquisite melodic guitar work that begins a little before the two minute mark. The band have also not been afraid to use clean vocals where appropriate and herein lies the key to the success of In Mourning’s variety. The clean vocals never feel contrived or placed just to add something different for its own sake. Transitions from melodic to heavier moments or changes in tempo are smooth and consistently cohesive, avoiding any sense of abruptness or disconnection. Attention to small details such as the final sustained chord shift from major to minor leaves a lingering sense of doubt, highlighting the band’s subtle command of mood and emotional nuance.
Song of the Cranes – which embraces more of the band’s progressive leanings - begins with another harsh salvo of pounding rhythms and growled vocals. Listen to the song of the cranes / Watch them as they bow their heads / I was there, on the myriad of ways / And walked without you for a hundred days. Elegiac and introspective, the song explores grief, love and the unanswerable questions left by absence. Clean vocals and melodic passages weave seamlessly with the intense sections, nearly merging into one. Harsh vocals overlay stunning melodic layers, and vice versa. In Mourning boldly push the boundaries of the melodic death metal framework, keeping the listener engaged from start to finish. Around the four-minute mark, a serene, reflective passage emerges, offering a beautifully restrained moment that invites quiet reflection. The vocals are both powerful and delicate, supported by soft guitar textures in the background.
As Long As The Twilight Stays opens with a solitary, mournful guitar line that steadily develops over the first ninety seconds, setting a deeply atmospheric tone. Björn Pettersson and Tobias Netzell provide a rich harmonic backdrop that allows Tim Nedergård’s lead work to shine - his first solo is fast, intricate, and emotionally charged. Capturing the search for meaning in uncertainty, twilight becomes a metaphor for emotional limbo. Breathe and open your eyes / When darkness falls, a new dawn will rise / Reveal the secrets you keep / There is still hope as long as twilight stays. In the final moments, the arrangement gradually strips back to that lone guitar, giving the impression of closure, only to surge once more into a powerful climax. The resulting coda is both majestic and poignant, drawing out a final wave of feeling before gently settling into silence - a striking and memorable conclusion.
The Sojourner – one of the tracks already released as a single – is both cosmic and mournful in approach. Confronting lost wisdom and the illusion of progress, it leaves us with a sense of tragic awe, instilling the weight of inevitability. The verses rank among the album’s most ferocious, with vocals delivered in a seething, venom-laced roar. The flaming one, sojourning sun / She will return and melt the ice / The shifting sky will turn again / And we will mourn the passing grief. In stark contrast, the choruses soar with unforgettable and breathtaking melodies. In Mourning navigate these shifts with complete assurance, using the ebb and flow between intensity and grace to craft songs that feel both deeply expressive and fully realised.
Shortest song, the three minute Moonless Sky is a stripped back ethereal and emotive piece that sits perfectly in the tracklisting allowing a moment of deep contemplation. It truly is one of the most beautiful pieces the band have ever written. All the vocals come in the first half and the minimal yet thoughtful lyrics build a quiet reflection on staying grounded, questioning whether perseverance is noble or futile. What makes us stay here / When it becomes so very dark / Not a single star to find / Going down to the ocean once again. Its delicate arrangement leaves ample space for the emotions to breathe, drawing the listener into a haunting, meditative atmosphere. Moonless Sky stands as a poignant reminder of the band’s ability to convey profound feeling through subtlety and restraint.
Staghorn snaps us out of our reverie with a rapid-fire introduction and snarling vocals that drip with dark passion. I stand upon a daring height / These wounds will not stop bleeding / But these rivers will run dry / The salt will be diluted. Another excellent, arresting melodious chorus encapsulates the album’s central theme of personal struggle and philosophical reflection. The middle section intensifies with precise rhythms and colossal riffs, pushing the track into new territory before it winds down with contemplative, haunting guitar that echoes in the mind.
Penultimate track North Star embodies the fear of losing one’s way when life’s guiding points fade. It reflects the struggle for purpose without clear direction. The quivering light / The surface above / Still trying to find / A path undefined / In the dead of the night. Clean and growling vocals intertwine during the first two verses and this serves to enhance the uncertainty from which the protagonist is suffering, not knowing which direction to take. During the song, the music moves effortlessly between jagged, visceral energy and wistful hooks, threading beauty through the chaos.
At over eight minutes, final track The Hounding is the longest on the album. It is an incredible distillation of everything that we have heard so far. It showcases some of the album’s wildest, fiercest guttural outbursts, pushing the limits of vocal power. Variations in tempo and vocal approach as the song progresses help to weave together the symbolism of wolves, fire and shadow which state we should confront our fears instead of succumbing to them. Shifting through several sections, there is the feeling of something cathartic. Despite its length, the track unfolds with compelling momentum, captivating us until the very last note.
The Immortal is a triumph on multiple levels. Cornelius Althammer’s drumming is outstanding, bringing precision, drive, and individuality to every track. The production is equally impressive: each instrument sits clearly in the mix, with every layer audible and well-balanced. Guitars move effortlessly between complex lead work and crushing rhythm passages, vocals are delivered with force and conviction, and the bass provides subtle depth beneath it all. The songwriting is taut, perfectly honed and exciting, combining the urgency of melodic death metal and, at times, some more progressive tendencies. Lyrically, the album is rich with striking imagery and philosophical weight. Fans who appreciate the blend of heaviness and melody - as well as the seamless use of both clean and growled vocals - will find plenty to admire. The Immortal is, without question, an album of the year contender.
The Immortal is released on 29th August 2025.
In Mourning online
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