Review HANGING GARDEN ‘Neither Moth Nor Rust’ – EP

It was not so long ago that Hanging Garden presented with ‘Skeleton Lake’ a new longplayer. To be precise, it was May 2021, a month when life and colors returned, while the Finns created a well-done counterpoint with their dark melodies.

A few months later, the dreariness of gray winter days prevails and the sun shows little or not at all. In exactly this time Hanging Garden release with ‘Neither Moth Nor Rust’ a new EP. What a match. With a total of six songs, the release has turned out lush and a playing time of just under half an hour is also a quite positive aspect for this release.

Musically, the seven musicians show once again that it is not the colorful melodies that serve as inspiration. Rather, it is also this time the gray misty clouds that drift through the Finnish winter forests and give a sense of loneliness and melancholy. Songs like the calmer ‘And Leave All Love Behind’ are a perfect example of this. Moving and dark, that’s how this little epic comes out of the speakers. What adds to the intensity of Hanging Garden Song is the voice of Rikka Hatakka, who joined the band in 2019.

With her soulful vocals she constitutes a well-done counterpart to the growls and clean vocals of ToniHatakka. The title track ‘Neither Moth Nor Rust’ illustrates this pretty well. Overall, the song reminds me of Paradise Lost, as it combines harsh metal with gothic and melancholic melodies. ‘Neither Moth Nor Rust’ is a well chosen title track and one of the most powerful songs on this EP. Even folk influences are picked up and incorporated into the closer ‘Felds of Reeds (Avalon Skies Rework)’. The calm and harmonic way of rounding off this EP can be considered well-done, as it also shows the range of Hanging Garden’s sound.

If you dig well done metal with a very dark vibe, you shouldn’t miss this EP. Hanging Garden have added ‘Neither Moth Nor Rust’ another very well-done release to their discography. Thumbs up.