01. The Garden (06:24) 02. The Four Winds (03:55) 03. The Construct (03:26) 04. The Song of Spring (05:10) 05. The Fire at First Dawn (04:20) 06. The Nightfall (03:46) 07. The Stolen Fire (04:54) 08. The Journey (04:22) 09. The Derelict Bay (02:09) 10. The Fireside (03:34) 11. The Resolute (04:49)
The compositions are dark, atmospheric & emotional, and concomitantly lean towards open-minded and playful musicality. While entrenched in metal's doom, gothic and melodeath branches, HANGING GARDEN displays a versatile, many-layered style of playing, packs female & male vocals, and draws influence & inspiration from music and art, far and wide. The new album - "The Garden" - dives deep into atmospheres both "tender and harsh, devilish and serene" and "embarks upon a journey to mankind's spiritual roots, contemplating the fragility of our technological society" - as poetically described by the band. "There is a kind of energy in the songs that there wasn’t before," introspects Toni Hatakka of HANGING GARDEN. "A feel of hope to contrast our old friend the despair, a strong notion of action against the familiar melancholy, or maybe a light amidst the comfortable gloom." "The Garden", the follow-up to "Skeleton Lake" (2021), was produced by Jussi Hämäläinen (vocals, guitars) and Jarno Hänninen. The album was mixed and mastered by the latter at D-studio (Beherit, Shape of Despair). Cover artwork and new band photos are by Finnish artist Kalle Pyyhtinen. "The Garden" marks the return of new-old drummer Antti Ruokola, last seen in HANGING GARDEN seven years ago.