Six years after the release of their sophomore album Finnish death metal act Lie in Ruins returns with their third and best outing to date ‘Floating in Timeless Streams‘, released through Dark Descent Records. The band was formed in the year 1993 under the name Dissected and managed to release a few rehearsal tapes before calling it quits. In the early 2000s they became active again with bassist and guitarist Tuomas K. of the Finnish death metal band Corpsessed. Lie in Ruins are among the lesser-known bands from Finland, but their sound is constructed upon the extreme foundations of old school death metal. Like other Finnish counterparts which infuse slow dirges of doom metal with death metal, much of their songs combine these two colossal elements. ‘ Floating in Timeless Streams‘ isn’t a sophisticated album, but it certainly has the morbid and doomy sound in equal proportions.

The guitars have the ability to spew dissonance with heavy crushing riffs and bulldozing drums pounding through at the pulverizing pace. Like many other Finnish bands Lie in Ruins converges towards doom metal. The obscure obsession of creating a gloomy atmosphere is achieved by the excellent performance of the lead guitar. Revving into a straightforward and subversive tempo the rhythm guitars paint gloomy pictures of somber melodies on the opening track ‘Earth Shall Mourn‘. Lie in Ruins defines their sound through emitting brutality, dissonance and blast beats. The overall sound is firmly rooted in the foundation of the early nineties death metal. ‘Spectral Realms of Fornication‘ is primitively brutal and unrefined: the pummeling drums and the monstrous growls of Roni S. (Desolate Shrine, Sargeist) surmount over the crunchy bass guitar. Through the blazing riffs of guitarist Roni Ä. and Tuomas K. (Perdition Winds) the shuddering gnarls of the vocalist depict eerie horror where the acoustic guitars are used to enhance the gloomy atmosphere. At this point Lie in Ruins shows certain similarities to bands like Corpsessed and Rippikoulu.

‘Floating in Timeless Streams’ pursues a traditional craft that is only known to the Finns. However, by the third track ‘(Becoming) One with the Aether‘ it moves into the obscure and blackened properties of black metal. The song includes tremolo inserts to create an instant shift in sound, while much of the riffing in the mid-tempo usually combines the dynamics of the groove. Each track unfolds its bizarre lead guitar work as drummer Jussi-Pekka Manner (Corpsessed) continues to strike relentlessly. The hammering beats in the following ‘Drowned‘ are carried out robustly. Regardless of the aggression, there is always a point when the dual guitars emphasize the ghastly atmosphere.  

‘The Path‘ in particular leans towards the slow and the crushing pace of death/doom metal. The track is characterized by the melodic rhythm guitar and soaring lead guitar. With a heavy focus on the riffs and the plodding drumbeats Lie in Ruins manifests the old school quality of nineties death metal. The new album reveals a relentless effort to descend deep into the obscure chasms of black metal by plunging straight into the petrifying suspense. The same trick is carried forth on ‘Descending Further‘. Only this time the drums display brutality and begin pummeling some crushing blast beats in the mid-tempo section. The guitars delve further into the chilling atmospherics of doom metal. In the span of forty plus minutes, Lie in Ruins managed to insert infectious hooks, eerie rhythms and solos.

Most of the tracks on the album are fixed at mid-tempo to be boosted by the heavy dynamics of the guitars. Tracks like ‘Suffocating Darkness‘ and the short instrumental piece ‘Interlude II‘ sees the band utilizing the same elements which fully encapsulates the blackened death doom style. Whereas the spooky piano on the interlude track provides some eeriness that segues to the album’s closure. ‘Where Mountains Sleep‘ brings the stomping brutality of rotten death metal that offers dizzying solo work, intense riffs and an unswerving quality from the drums.

The veterans of Lie in Ruins on their third album deliver a firm treat for the fans of old school death/doom metal. ‘Floating in Timeless Streams‘ is the band’s best album to achieve such extreme and expansive standards. In terms of songwriting the Finnish quartet does not stray from the early nineties death metal, but they have certainly set up a visceral sound and tonality here.

Release Date: November 20th, 2020
Label: Dark Descent Records
Track list:

1. Earth shall Mourn
2. Spectral Realms of Fornication
3. Interlude I
4. (Becoming) One with the Aether
5. Drowned
6. The Path
7. Descending Further
8. Suffocating Darkness
9. Interlude II
10. Where Mountains Sleep