A Light in the Dark is the musical project of an anonymous Russian musician, that is the driving force behind several others gracefully authorial and original musical projects, of which probably the most notorious is Skyforest; under this alias, the artist has released one of the most marvelous, perfect, majestic and sublime records in the history of atmospheric melodic metal, Unity. If you haven't heard this album, I strongly recommend you to do this today. For now, I will analyze and introduce you to the records that this fantastic artist has released under the nom de plume A Light in the Dark.
Under the alias A Light in the Dark, this unknown artist has at least six releases available on the Bandcamp page of this respective musical project.
Under the alias A Light in the Dark, this unknown artist has at least six releases available on the Bandcamp page of this respective musical project.
The first one — the eponymous A Light in the Dark —, was released on August 30, 2015. The record has seven tracks: 1) Sweet Dreams; 2) Bleak Waters; 3) A Melancholic Weekend; 4) Forget the Past; 5)Sunshine; 6) Outskirts; 7) Cotton Cloud; although the album starts in a somewhat very optimistic and triumphant atmosphere, gradually the work becomes more somber and melancholic, despite the fact that the musical atmosphere is too colorful, if compared to subsequent releases. Nevertheless, here the musician was just beginning his sonorous journey on this specific project, without a clear idea of what he was going to do, or in what direction his creativity would take him.
With a more prosaic, progressive and occasionally almost pop sound, this album turned out to be a bizarre anomaly in the project's discography. While it is indeed exceptionally good, it's very uplifting and colorful. The fourth track, Forget the Past — in my modest opinion —, is the best; the creativity displayed on keyboard and guitar lines combine the work of both instruments in a very dynamic, rapturous and stringent cohesiveness. Despite some minor limitations, the album gets better and better from the second track onwards; in the end, while the debut album is not essential for a general appreciation of the artist's work, on the other hand, is quite fundamental to understand his musical development.
With a more prosaic, progressive and occasionally almost pop sound, this album turned out to be a bizarre anomaly in the project's discography. While it is indeed exceptionally good, it's very uplifting and colorful. The fourth track, Forget the Past — in my modest opinion —, is the best; the creativity displayed on keyboard and guitar lines combine the work of both instruments in a very dynamic, rapturous and stringent cohesiveness. Despite some minor limitations, the album gets better and better from the second track onwards; in the end, while the debut album is not essential for a general appreciation of the artist's work, on the other hand, is quite fundamental to understand his musical development.
Vanished — released more than a year later, in September 28, 2016 — is a five tracks EP, that has the following songs: 1) I Tried to Forget; 2) Vanished; 3) Overpass; 4) Tired of Waiting; 5) Self-Dissonance; with a more melancholic and somber atmosphere, nevertheless, on this work the artist continues to display a melodic and diffusive style, though in an exceedingly more refined and elegant harmonious cosmogony. The musical framework on Vanished becomes more latent and digressive.
Its on this record that the artist starts to consolidate the pungent and characteristic depressive post-black metal style that would eventually become his sonorous trademark. A gracefully beautiful, sensible and expressive record, Vanished certainly is one of the most relevant, dense and marvelous works of the artist's entire discography, even if we include the releases of his other side projects.
Its on this record that the artist starts to consolidate the pungent and characteristic depressive post-black metal style that would eventually become his sonorous trademark. A gracefully beautiful, sensible and expressive record, Vanished certainly is one of the most relevant, dense and marvelous works of the artist's entire discography, even if we include the releases of his other side projects.
This is a split album with the projects thehappymask and Olhava. With seven tracks, the first three are performed by thehappymask, the three following are performed by A Light in the Dark, and Olhava plays only the last. The three A Light in the Dark songs are Alone, Affection and Escape (a cover song authored by Germ).
With a pervasively soft, but at the same time pungent musical atmosphere, these three songs performed by A Light in the Dark certainly expands the diluted sonorous aphorism of the artist's increasingly dilated, but overly meticulous style. Nevertheless, the dispersive harmonies of the songs disseminate over the sensible diagram of the melodies a remarkable flavor of serenity, that gradually expands over the surface of its own gracious perception of infinity.
The two songs conceived by the artist are exceptionally delivered as marvelous anthems of lucid, reflexive and solitary grace. The cover song is also perfectly executed, and performed in a very peculiar and introspective style, that deserves to be highlighted. Displaying a majestic and virtuous musical temperance — whose melodies comes from the sorrow of distant silent shadows —, a delightfully somber atmosphere is graciously combined with frivolous and despondent, but expressive vocal sensibilites, whose final result manages to be one of the most relevant, honest and dense in the history of the genre.
With a pervasively soft, but at the same time pungent musical atmosphere, these three songs performed by A Light in the Dark certainly expands the diluted sonorous aphorism of the artist's increasingly dilated, but overly meticulous style. Nevertheless, the dispersive harmonies of the songs disseminate over the sensible diagram of the melodies a remarkable flavor of serenity, that gradually expands over the surface of its own gracious perception of infinity.
The two songs conceived by the artist are exceptionally delivered as marvelous anthems of lucid, reflexive and solitary grace. The cover song is also perfectly executed, and performed in a very peculiar and introspective style, that deserves to be highlighted. Displaying a majestic and virtuous musical temperance — whose melodies comes from the sorrow of distant silent shadows —, a delightfully somber atmosphere is graciously combined with frivolous and despondent, but expressive vocal sensibilites, whose final result manages to be one of the most relevant, honest and dense in the history of the genre.
Imperfect is an EP released on May 20, 2017, featuring five different musical groups and projects. With only five tracks, each band participates with a song.
The third track features the song played by A Light in the Dark, titled Uncertain. Seven minutes long, it is more direct than usual. Nevertheless, with an accessible layout — but displaying a dense structure and a melancholic atmosphere —, the song features qualities that has become distinct trademarks of the artist's musical identity.
The third track features the song played by A Light in the Dark, titled Uncertain. Seven minutes long, it is more direct than usual. Nevertheless, with an accessible layout — but displaying a dense structure and a melancholic atmosphere —, the song features qualities that has become distinct trademarks of the artist's musical identity.
Released in June 23, 2017, A Long Journey Home — despite the project's somewhat extensive discography —, is the second full lenght album released by A Light in the Dark. With eight tracks, being in the following order 1) Uncertain, 2) Alone, 3) In a Deafening Silence, 4) Follow Your Heart, 5) To Drown in Your Eyes, 6) Affection, 7) A Long Journey Home and 8) Alone (Nyoko edit), this is a very mature, solid and cohesive musical work, that certainly deserves a place of honor in the artist's discography. The first track, Uncertain, is the same featured in the EP Imperfect. The second and the sixth tracks, Alone and Affection, respectively, were the ones included in the split with thehappymask and Olhava.
With a marvelous atmosphere — that displays the general qualities of the project —, A Long Journey Home is an exceptional musical endeavor, that crystallizes the creative competence, the dynamic restlessness, the poetic spirit of insurgence and the technical capacity of the artist in an audacious diagram of majestic authenticity, proving why he is so relevant today for the contemporary underground scene in genres like depressive, melodic and post-black metal. With an original, expressive and very personal musical method, his passionate, diluted and somber sonorous tendencies conceives a distinct, expansive, fatalist universe of solitude, where a sentimental realm of sincere lucidity overlaps the fragile perceptions of reality, being supplanted by the gentle touch of an everlasting soul, whose hopes and disagreements will never fade away.
With a sensible and subtle touch of audacity, the artist really goes beyond the ordinary, and ventures into more introspective and placid territory. The fourth track, Follow Your Heart, is a marvelous anthem of calm and serene, but at the same time disruptive secrecy, whose discreet harmonious tonalities sets the vibe for its quiet layers of dense uneasiness. In a general evaluation, A Long Journey Home is a very majestic album, that definitely sets apart A Light in the Dark as one of the most fundamental musical projects of the underground scene, essential for the development of all these genres masterly crafted by the artist.
With a marvelous atmosphere — that displays the general qualities of the project —, A Long Journey Home is an exceptional musical endeavor, that crystallizes the creative competence, the dynamic restlessness, the poetic spirit of insurgence and the technical capacity of the artist in an audacious diagram of majestic authenticity, proving why he is so relevant today for the contemporary underground scene in genres like depressive, melodic and post-black metal. With an original, expressive and very personal musical method, his passionate, diluted and somber sonorous tendencies conceives a distinct, expansive, fatalist universe of solitude, where a sentimental realm of sincere lucidity overlaps the fragile perceptions of reality, being supplanted by the gentle touch of an everlasting soul, whose hopes and disagreements will never fade away.
With a sensible and subtle touch of audacity, the artist really goes beyond the ordinary, and ventures into more introspective and placid territory. The fourth track, Follow Your Heart, is a marvelous anthem of calm and serene, but at the same time disruptive secrecy, whose discreet harmonious tonalities sets the vibe for its quiet layers of dense uneasiness. In a general evaluation, A Long Journey Home is a very majestic album, that definitely sets apart A Light in the Dark as one of the most fundamental musical projects of the underground scene, essential for the development of all these genres masterly crafted by the artist.
Colours of the Mind is a four tracks EP, released in March 25, 2018. Like Imperfect, A Light in the Dark features in only one track, all the other three being performed by other artists.
The song performed by A Light in the Dark is titled Let It Guide You. The third track in the EP, it is a little more than eight minutes long. With a very calm and expressive sonorous musical layout, this track is exceptionally vivacious and beautiful, though unexpectedly more serene, depressive and poetic than usual. Despite its sensible fatalist layer, the profoundly humane melancholy displayed by the somber and diluted harmonies of the song gradually converges into a fragile fugacious line of splendor, where pervasively cautious, but pungent strident vocals — followed by a serene, but graceful recitative voice, sidelined by drastically dilated guitar lines — majestically seeks the horizon of its own distinct, but everlasting singular atmosphere.
One of the most wonderful songs ever conceived by this marvelous artist, Let It Guide You is a very sentimental and poetic anthem of love and serenity, that definitely deserves wider appreciation and major recognition.
The song performed by A Light in the Dark is titled Let It Guide You. The third track in the EP, it is a little more than eight minutes long. With a very calm and expressive sonorous musical layout, this track is exceptionally vivacious and beautiful, though unexpectedly more serene, depressive and poetic than usual. Despite its sensible fatalist layer, the profoundly humane melancholy displayed by the somber and diluted harmonies of the song gradually converges into a fragile fugacious line of splendor, where pervasively cautious, but pungent strident vocals — followed by a serene, but graceful recitative voice, sidelined by drastically dilated guitar lines — majestically seeks the horizon of its own distinct, but everlasting singular atmosphere.
One of the most wonderful songs ever conceived by this marvelous artist, Let It Guide You is a very sentimental and poetic anthem of love and serenity, that definitely deserves wider appreciation and major recognition.
I hope you have liked the evaluations I have done for the releases of A Light in the Dark. Like I wrote above, the artist responsible for this project is involved in a lot of other musical endeavors — like Skyforest, Blurry Lights and Hiki —, so you don't have to restrain yourself only to this one in particular. Feel free to listen and to explore whatever this anonymous musician has released so far, I'm sure you're going to appreciate everything he has done.
Undoubtedly, more recently developed genres like post-black metal are in great debt with artists like A Light in the Dark, and its evolution depends on the restless creativity and dynamic passion of its proponents. But for now, we already have quite a lot of excellent features to appreciate. It's impossible to know what the future has reserved for this magnificently skilled and talented artist, but we will certainly enjoy a lot of masterpieces released by him.
Wagner
Undoubtedly, more recently developed genres like post-black metal are in great debt with artists like A Light in the Dark, and its evolution depends on the restless creativity and dynamic passion of its proponents. But for now, we already have quite a lot of excellent features to appreciate. It's impossible to know what the future has reserved for this magnificently skilled and talented artist, but we will certainly enjoy a lot of masterpieces released by him.
Wagner
