Album Review: Latitudes – Part Island (Debemur Morti Productions)

Influenced by a variety of music artists like Neurosis, Rush, King Crimson, Blut Aus Nord, Immolation, Converge and Mastodon: Latitudes will release their new studio album ‘Part Island’ on the 5th April 2019 via Debemur Morti Productions.

Foregrounding vocals on every album track for the first time in the band’s 12 years, ‘Part Island’ is a dynamic collection unashamedly brim-filled with sadness and regret. Helmed by a performance of sheer naked honesty from vocalist Adam Symonds.

The melancholy melody that introduces the opening track Underlie is thick with atmosphere and dripping in emotional honesty. When it does kick in, it doesn’t do so in a savage way, rather upping the intensity of the guitars adding extra sting. Bleak sounding and heavy but still beautiful to hear.

That continues into the haunting shoe-gaze style efforts of Moorland is the Sea. The wildness to the guitars, something that is quite subtle is offset by a pained vocal performance, one that sees vocalist Adam Symonds on the verge of tears a lot of the time. It’s an incredibly expansive track, filled with wonder and beauty, one that everyone will want to experience,

Dovestone then lays out some deep bass lines. even more dejected vocals and haunted atmosphere to capture the imagination. Before Fallowness delivers an exceptionally strong and open look at the naked beauty of Latitudes sound. Complex, yet easy to listen to and enjoy. The latter part of the track, begins to really focus on a black metal sound, something that is picked up on in The Great Past. The fiery heaviness and speed is very traditional with only the vocals betraying that.

There is no question that Part Island is an excellent album, one that is incredibly layered delivering on several metal fronts while remaining truly emotive. This is summed up perfectly by the expansive finale of the title track. A track that takes us across the entire Latitudes spectrum and then some.

Latitudes – Part Island Full Track Listing:

1. Underlie
2. Moorland Is The Sea
3. Dovestone
4. Fallowness
5. The Great Past
6. Part Island

The album can be ordered in the UK here, the European store here and the US store here. Find out more about Latitudes via their Facebook Page and Instagram.