Daylight Dies — Lost to the Living

intothewellsabyss
Jul 14, 2023
3 min read

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

15 years ago today, Daylight Dies painted us a “Portrait In White” with “Lost to the Living”!

On this day (July 14) in 2008, Daylight Dies released their third full-length studio album, “Lost to the Living” via Candlelight Records.

Background:

Daylight Dies entered the studio in December 2007 to begin recording their third album “Lost to the Living”. Like “Dismantling Devotion”, the album was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios. It was originally scheduled for a June 24th release, but was delayed due to problems with printing the album.

An official press release from Candlelight Records stated; "Due to unforeseen difficulties with the printing of the new Daylight Dies album "Lost To The Living", Candlelight Records have regretfully had to postpone its UK & European release date until July 14, 2008. This difficult decision has been taken in order to ensure that the band's vision for their stunning new album is preserved, and to make sure it looks as good as it sounds!

The label further detailed the release by saying;

"Lost To The Living" features captivatingly dark original artwork from renowned artist Travis Smith, who has worked with the band before and whose other previous collaborations include Opeth, Anathema & Katatonia! With their new album, Daylight Dies have put forth the most mature and varied release of their career. The lush textures which were introduced with the previous album continue and are greatly expanded upon. Acoustic and clean guitars ride alongside heavy rhythms more prevalently than previously, creating a multi-layered sound saturated in atmosphere and depth. "Lost To The Living" is a mix of beautiful melancholic leads and harsh dissonant rhythms; despair driven hooks and the overall dark atmosphere you've come to expect.”

The release date for "Lost To The Living" through sites such as iTunes remained unaffected, and the album was available for download on June 30, 2008.

After the album's release in 2008, the band supported it with two North American tours—one with Candlemass and another with Soilwork, Darkane and Swallow the Sun.

Critical Reception:

Writing for AllMusic, Alex Henderson said that “…anyone who has spent a lot of time listening to Katatonia, My Dying Bride, or Paradise Lost has heard plenty of plenty of CDs along the lines of what these North Carolina residents offer on “Lost to the Living”. But all of the material is solid and well executed, and Daylight Dies continue to be one of the American bands that has no problem sounding convincing on Euro-style Extreme Metal.”

While Jordan Campbell at Last Rites (yourlastrites.com) stated;

“Daylight Dies, dare I say, have out-Opethed Opeth with this one. Not in structure, mind you– “Lost to the Living” ambles on a straighter path than Akerfeldt’s prog-pie crankwalks. But in mood, it trumps. The sound is progressive in its storytelling, a richly-layered journey from depths of mind to caverns of soul. Adhering to their textbook for the first few tracks –a stout and full-bodied deathroar doom with acute gothic sensibilites– they improve upon their formula, but offer no surprises.”

One reviewer at Sputnikmusic reverberated Campbell’s sentiments by saying;

“It's clear that Daylight Dies did not reinvent the wheel writing “Lost To The Living”, however the band tread some new ground and show enduring promise for the follow-up album to be released in 2011. As one of the few remaining American doom metal bands to be cranking out brutal, melancholic, truly promising metal over the last decade, Daylight Dies is truly a band to look out for and keep an eye on. Sincerity is something we find lacking in most aspects of life and music is not exempt from this. Say what you will, Daylight Dies is sincerity incarnate. They aren't trying to gain mass appeal, they are playing f*cking metal at it's finest and most sincere.”

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

▶ Click this link to listen to “Lost to the Living” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/lost-to-the-living/714584097

▶ Click this link to listen to “Lost to the Living” via Spotify: Lost To The Living https://open.spotify.com/album/7A1XBj6VIeCRglHK0yeycu

▶ Click this link to watch the official music video for “Woke Up Lost”: https://youtu.be/ZBzKY2qRlSs

▶ Click this link to watch the official “Lost to the Living” Q&A with Daylight Dies: https://youtu.be/jjj1MCKl81w

▶ Click this link to follow Daylight Dies on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daylightdies

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells

Daylight Dies — Lost to the Living

Background:

Critical Reception:

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Follow Us:

Recent Posts

Comments

Subscribe Form