I know it is almost January, but I will be surprised if this doesn't end up in my top 5 albums of the year for 2018. Ænigma was one of my favorite albums from recent years, and even with a crazy high standard set, Currents still really impressed me.
I think a lot of bands try to blend a lighter style of progressive metal with extreme metal and it often comes off as very forced, but In Vain seamlessly transitions from a slow pace to faster one, harsh vocals to clean, a dark tone to more upbeat. Listening for the first time, I was anticipating what would happen next at every turn. I will definitely have to listen a few more times to fully digest it, but really enjoying it so far.
Awesome to hear, @bowbow!
MeloDeath tends to be a genre i don't gravitate to for exactly the reasons you outline in your comment on lighter and extreme blending, though that permeates for me on every level of the genre, not just in progressive intersectionalism.
That said, whenever a new In Vain record is going to drop, i'm always going to drop everything and check it immediately. Probably still need a few more spins myself, but glad we'll be enjoying those spins together, mate.
i'll be making a post at least once a week on new albums, so be sure to follow if that's of interest. Also did a writeup for my top dark ambient albums of last year and have a few more niche genre lists to put out. Content will probably be a 50/50 metal/not metal split, but, hopefully still enjoyable.
Thank you for the support, mate! /m/