Happy Days from USA released their first full length in last five years. Why, maybe you wonder? Why so long? Well, this opus will give you an answer. There is an eerie intro plus ten songs of explanation on this opus. For those who don’t know, Happy Days play depressive black metal, raw and atmospheric with all the conviction of an occupant of psychiatric institution and between four walls different ideas occur, maybe only to me, but I am sure that also to A.Morbid who wrote his most deep and personal opus with this one. My metal brother in my hometown once told me that depressive black metal is non existent because it destroys the meaning of bm, being aggressive and yet atmospheric music and that all dsbm bands are in fact Burzum clones turning one or two riffs all along. This band and album is something I will play to my brother to prove that his statement is not true. Just listen to slow, doomy rolls of ‘J’y étais’ with almost post black metal guitar work, fantastic anguished screaming and female spoken vocals topped with choirs, making it a fantastic opus. ‘Hollow’ is another absolute highlight, I am amazed how Happy Days manage to connect black metal with gentle piano and synth melodies, almost ethereal clean vocals turning into anguished tortured screams, superb female vocals and great songwriting like a whirlwind of emotions. Songs like ‘Mors Vincit Omnia’ and ironic ‘Life Goes On…’ show all the heartbreak, emptiness, bare blooded flesh of emotions without skin or mask. This is a tour de force of emotional black metal.

10/10