Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Fires in the Distance - Circadian Promise (2026)
Fires in the Distance is an American band from Connecticut that has joined in with October Tide and Hinayana to bring forth melodic death-doom in the past 10 years. They've released 3 albums, the third of which marked the entrance of a new vocalist. This is their new album Circadian Promise!
Their new vocalist Brendan Hayter gives the bleak instrumentation great flavor and holds everything in place. Although the music, especially the guitars, sounds dark and heavy, it actually sounds brighter than other bands of the genre, and suprisingly it fits so nicely. Many of the different moments here sound so grand, whether the vocals are clean or harsh. And the piano and guitars stand out amongst the rest of the melodic death-doom scene.
Opener "Of Radiance and Levitation" sounds so crystal clear in the music. Guitar harmonies and deathly vocals guide you through this dark waltz. It's a true bridge between the melodeath of Dark Tranquillity/early In Flames and the doom-gloom of My Dying Bride/early Katatonia. The soft dreamy guitar/keyboard bridge passes by without ever being forgotten. Beautiful! "To You, Author of My Fade" takes a break from the slowness for some speed to add to the guitar/keyboard atmosphere. Those drums and riffs hit hard, and of course we have those searing screams and sweet cleans. So excellent!
Another track worth hearing is "Lightless Days of a Songless Bird". Even the title sounds so poetic! I love the chorus, though I wish the clean singing could've accompanied it. Also sounding great is the 5-minute "By This Time Tomorrow". The buildup and soloing are way too majestic to miss out on.
"Once the Silence Takes Your Place" has more of that slow power. Everything sounds so straight throughout these 9 minutes, still sounding dark and tight in the music and vocals. Later on in the track is some wild screaming that leads to amazing soloing and more of that clean singing. I would say this would make an amazing ending, but then comes the epilogue... "Agonal Dreaming" unleashes melancholic melody and rhythm from the keys, guitar, bass, and drums. And that's how to end this album smoothly.
I can easily say that Circadian Promise has reminded me about what's so great about a dark depressive style like melodic death-doom. I can enjoy this album more as listening progresses. This shall strike hard and keep you on the edge of your seat for their next album in the future, and that's a promise!
Favorites: "To You, Author of My Fade", "By This Time Tomorrow", "Once the Silence Takes Your Place"