Sweden’s Slumber didn’t have much in the way of a discography, but the one album that they did release in Fallout garnered many positive reviews. Today the members of that band have turned in their doom metal card for something a little more post-apocalyptic in terms of sound in the form of the new band AtomA. The post-rock style that AtomA plays can be heard by the casual listener as nothing more than cashing in on a trend, but after listening to their debut Skylight, all of the criticism goes silent.

From the moment the listener lays eyes on the album cover of Skylight, it is clear that they are in for a visual and aural experience of a lifetime. The opening track “AtomA” is a nice instrumental that sets the tone for what is to come; however, it is not until the title track that things begin to take root, particularly when the clean vocals emerge for the first time. Those vocals hit the listener unlike any other, with a sense of despair and feeling of being vaporized into thin air. “Hole in the Sky” is a trip into space, both physically and mentally, as the music has a futuristic feel to it while the vocals belt out, in a powerful manner, “There’s a hole in the sky…” For the most part, the vocals are clean, but there are instances where there are growls, as is the case with the title track.  There is never a dull moment on the album, as tracks such as “Bermuda Riviera” and “Saturn and I” have a sound that, in the rarest of rare moments, has a sense of originality to it. “Rainmen” is one of the true stand-out tracks on the album, with the vocals providing a sense of calm in a post-apocalyptic world. The closing track “Cloud Nine” has female vocals that will haunt the listener for hours after Skylight ends. The best tracks on an album full of outstanding tracks include the title track, “Hole in the Sky,” “Rainmen,” and “Cloud Nine.” Truth be told, it would be easier to say the entire album is outstanding from beginning to end.

AtomA didn’t exactly come out of nowhere to release possibly one of the most perfect albums in some time, but it will certainly feel that way after listening to Skylight. This is post-rock at its finest; the album’s tagline is “Goodbye, Planet Earth.”  Skylight provides the most appropriate soundtrack to this tagline, so enjoy the ride…and your last moments on Earth.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  AtomA
2.  Skylgiht
3.  Hole in the Sky
4.  Highway
5.  Bermuda Riviera
6.  Resonance
7.  Solaris
8.  Rainmen
9.  Saturn and I
10.  Cloud Nine

Total playing time:  47:45

Release Date: March 30th, 2012
Label: Napalm Records

AtomA - Skylight

Reviewer: Peter

June 4, 2012