Album Review: Somnent – Heirloom (Ardua Music)

Floridian melodic doom/death metal band Somnent will release their third full-length album, Heirloom, on 30th October via Ardua Music.

Somnent began life in 2015 as the project of multi-instrumentalist Giovanni Antonio Vigliotti, blending melodic doom and death metal with a strong sense of melancholy. Heirloom is the band’s third full-length album and explores the lasting impact of a toxic family environment, childhood trauma and the grief that comes with losing parts of yourself along the way. Written over four years, the album is described by Vigliotti as a deeply personal work about the wounds we carry, the past we struggle to escape and the possibility of finding freedom from it.

Broken trust and broken spirit, hidden scars beneath the skin, doubt in all things but my own lack of worth…all these gifts you have handed down to me, wrapped in tears and tied with a bow of disinterest and disdain. I have carried these burdens through the years, their back-breaking weight only growing heavier as I age. I have listened in disbelief to the tales of others’ lives as they spun their stories of love and support, of kindness and warmth, incapable of resolving these fairytale images with the chill emptiness, yawning chasms of distance and quick, casual cruelties that squirmed in the darkness behind the walls of the house that should have been our home. This has been your bequest to me, my undying inheritance to carry, my secret, bitter treasure…my Heirloom.

Somnent is Giovanni Antonio Vigliotti on vocals and guitars, Shane Dohmen on bass and Alejandro Acuña on drums. Heirloom alos features lyrics and guest vocals on ‘A Voice Of Inner Child’ by Natalia Drepina, additional vocals on ‘King Of Ruin’ by Dust Of Reason as well as contributions from Jari Lindholm and Julian Lefler.

Heirloom starts with A Voice of Inner Child, quickly setting a sorrowful atmosphere. A melancholic piano melody and the stunning voice of guest vocalist Natalia Drepina guide you through this intro track. It really sets the mood, and it’s not a cheerful one. It’s beautiful, though, and leads us nicely into Throne Aflame. The drums and riffs take the lead, slow and impactful, while layers of melody add a touch of light and majesty. As the vocals come in, they are initially clean, deep and rich, backed by the piano melody. The heavier instruments then return with emphasis, and the vocals turn to deep, harsh singing.

The transitions between heavier instrumentation and harsh vocals, and clean singing with piano, are smooth and engaging. The overall feeling of sadness and desperation reaches out through the speakers but, just as it might start to feel a little overwhelming, a chorus drops with a different clean vocal tone, and you do feel lighter. Like you have come to terms with your own thoughts. It’s a very atmospheric song, very creative and impactful, and that chorus is on a different level.

Severed Ties gets darker and a little angrier while retaining the atmosphere set so far. The vocals are darker, and a little piano twinkle in the background somehow makes everything seem even darker despite its light sound. The vocals are great, with that silky, rich clean tone used at times alongside the deep, harsh singing. Heavy drums, bassy riffs and some seriously stunning melody, used cleverly, keep the song flowing and engaging throughout.

King of Ruin uses atmospheric sounds and spoken word in its intro and outro to pull us in and cleverly maintain a consistent atmospheric thread throughout Heirloom. It comes in with sombre melody as its driving force initially, building up with clean vocals and softened drums until we’re nicely bedded in. Then we’re hit with a dark, heavy section featuring crunching drums, harsh vocals and fast riffs.

These contrasts are something Somnent are doing very well on Heirloom. They keep us engaged across some lengthy song runtimes and showcase real talent, both with the instruments and the song writing.

Barren Mother is another very good and very atmospheric song, with sorrowful melancholy rolling through the chords and soft drums. The vocals are clean throughout, but the deep and rich tone of the verses switches up for more emphatic choruses. The lyrical content is very sad and very clear in a song that feels extremely personal. That just adds even more to the overall atmosphere Somnent have crafted here.

Where Silence Dwells brings more heaviness, with some great melody but also big, powerful drums and riffs leading us in. There are some more tweaks and ideas here as Somnent continue to showcase how much they have to offer.

The dark, whispered vocals and echo in the verses lead into a very aggressive and sinister section with ringing bass and powerful singing. Melody joins back in, adding sadness to the anger with a powerful and impassioned chorus. I really like Giovanni Antonio Vigliotti’s voice – what a talent. As amazing as Heirloom has been so far, this one is hitting me hardest. It’s a wonderful song.

As You’ve Sown has to follow that up, but based on the album so far, I would expect nothing else other than exceptional quality, and that is what I get. It’s sad, melancholic and atmospheric – all the things I have said so far, but every song is so unique. The piano melody adds so much here, and the heavier verses, showcasing powerful vocals, heavy drums and bassy riffs, are mean and meaty before giving way to allow the melody to lead us into a mesmerising chorus with a seriously catchy beat and a little bit more of an uplifting feel. Just a little.

This superb album closes with The Feeding Hand and ensures we get a full house of immense tracks on Heirloom. A clean-singing-led opening verse drops away to allow the electric guitars to blaze out a passionate and powerful solo. We move through all different vocal styles, with heavy passages where the drums and bass reverberate through you, and clean sections where the despair gets close to overwhelming. Somnent combine all their considerable skills and talent for a song that leaves a lasting impression, as much as the album will.

Heirloom is an amazing album. It’s atmospheric, sad, beautiful and heavy, with superb song writing talent on display throughout. Every song has something special about it, and the way Somnent balance the heavier passages with melody, piano and different vocal styles keeps you engaged from start to finish. It’s a deeply emotional album that feels incredibly personal, and one that leaves a lasting impression. I love it.

You can preorder Heirloom by Somnent from Ardua Music here.

Track List

01 – A Voice Of Inner Child
02 – Throne Aflame
03 – Severed Ties
04 – King Of Ruin
05 – Barren Mother
06 – Where Silence Dwells
07 – As You’ve Sown
08 – The Feeding Hand

Somnent Links

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