Somewhere, in the intersection between melodic death metal, doom and post-metal, lies a sweet spot that acts from Finland seem to be able to hit more consistently than any other. Something about the land of the thousand lakes inspires artists to deliver consistently on the balance between metal, melancholy and melody, and Hanging Garden is one of the scene’s more experienced bands. On their seventh album, Skeleton Lake, releasing on May 21 via Lifeforce Records, the group’s seven members seek to process the “endless winter” of the year gone by, whilst reflecting the hope and optimism of a forthcoming spring. With the cold winds of “Kuura” kicking off the album, Skeleton Lake launches straight into some of the more gothic metal-influenced sounds with the clean vocals of Riikka Hatakka takin...