Released worldwide by Karisma Records, All Tomorrow’s Darkness is a beautifully bleak debut from Liminal Sky.

A LIGHT FRESHNESS

Billed as “a closing of old chapters, the beginning of a new world, and a testament to how loss can illuminate even the darkest horizon,” All Tomorrow’s Darkness feels like a throw back to early Floyd, King Crimson and a touch of Wishbone Ash’s Argus era in the opening stages of album opener Some Other Time in which they add a jazzy element with crystal clear vocals . There is a light freshness to their music too.

Solitary Future we have met before as a single release. With In Some Secret Universe, Liminal Sky reveal their mysterious, hypnotic side. It floats along, building dramatically, before serenely concluding with delicate piano. Percussion is laid on heavily to drive along the song in places.

Penance employs a female vocalist. Swirling strings accentuate the dark, yearning vocals to create a frenetic atmosphere. There may be a change in vocalist but the mood remains the same. The music is as dramatic as ever with lyrics delivered in a recitative operatic style where the conversation is sung.

A different tempo and texture warms our ears for The Weight Of Heaven the blend of complex percussion, gently ringing guitars, and flowing vocals making what would seem like a deep themed song highly listenable.

ALGEBRA OF KNOWING

Algebra of Knowing again sounds deep and intellectual but the music is far from a ponderous listen. The Algebra of Knowing has vocalist showing his range amidst jangly instrumental with percussionist filling in with more complex rhythms. The jazzy sax interlude has an early Miles Davis feel adding more colour to Liminal Sky’s music bringing a brief calm interlude before some chaotic moments.

The refrain from The Weight of Heaven highlights the desperateness expressed in the lyrics and music throughout the album. Tragic personal and events plus the solitariness many felt during the pandemic are at the nub of the album. There is gloom, there is despair with a minimal amount of hope but it is still a project worth your time.

This comfortless coldness
Is weighing me down
To the earth
May I belong to heaven
Before the devil knows that I am gone

The Oar On The Mooring lends fuel to the fire that Liminal sky are a very demanding listen but the variety of sounds they create, like the others, shows another slight change in direction that maintains an interest. Chiming rings out with dreamy choral vocals before we hear dark ponderous chords for final title track All Tomorrow’s Darkness bringing this multi textured album to a close.

Liminal Sky is the new creative chapter for acclaimed producer Jaime Gomez Arellano  and Daniel Knight who for the recording of All Tomorrow’s Darkness  took themselves off to the tranquility of an English rural setting. In collaboration with  Mat McNerney and a host of Nordic musicians to produced this atmospheric music which may have an air of desolation and loss about it but this is an impressive a debut project.

Liminal Sky: Bandcamp

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