The aptness of the name Dream Unending is appreciable from varying angles depending on who’s commenting. Detractors joke that the sprawling “dream-doom” puts them to sleep, whilst acolytes insist that its layered atmospheres feel blissfully otherworldly. I’ve remained firmly on the latter side since the first time I heard 2021 debut Tide Turns Eternal, with Song of Salvation and the impeccable split with Worm, Starpath, only cementing my opinion—and that of many others. There is far more—in my ears—to the sweeping, languid tides of Dream Unending’s music than there is in a great deal of the “more immediate” strands of death metal, including Derrick Vella’s other band, Tomb Mold. Late to hear (again), I found my surprise at the announcement of album three, Certain Uncertainties, quickly turn to excitement. Could the doomy dream-weavers do it again?

Certain Uncertainties lives up to its name by occupying a liminal space between Dream Unending’s instantly recognisable sound and its unique potency. For enjoyers such as myself, the magic lies in their particular ability to make cavernous death metal peaceful and beautiful,¹ with a progressive grandiosity and lush flood of elegant melodies. And the well is nowhere close to running dry as much here makes plain. Here that ethereality is less strongly and less often adorned, heaviness swapping places with not only acoustic, but jazz and Americana-infused arrangements that move the duo’s flirtation with introspective progressiveness into mellower territory than before. Even this maintains one side of the act’s brilliance—its peace. And yet as unmistakably Dream Unending as the whole thing remains, one can’t help but feel a pang at the vagueness introduced that dulls the brightness of what it touches, and diverts from the remaining glory.

Dream Unending once again display their talent for crafting soundscapes so alluring your breath catches and flows with the magnitudinous riffs and crashes bleeding out atmospherically, and your heart flutters with the dancing strings above. The dreaminess manifests as ever before in drawling chords and echoing gutturals and secretive strums (“Blinding Allure,” “Rubato,” “Causal”), but also sees new expressions. A newly vulnerable tone to the delicate instrumentals (“Certain Uncertainties,” “Rubato”), and a contrastively energetic drama that leans hard into the American folkiness (“Strained Sincerity,” “Causal”) both add worthwhile variety and depth. “Strained Sincerity” channels Wayfarer at one point and sounds fantastic doing it.² The melodies are unobjectionably beautiful regardless of expression—including the gazelike keys from Dave Vella (“Rubato”) and the return of Leila Abdul-Rauf’s trumpet (“Certain Uncertainties”), though they of course sound best when wrapped in that characteristic liquidity—a quality that Dream Unending deliberately, heartbreakingly strip from far too much of Certain Uncertainties.

Though the overall quality—calibre and vibe—covers a multitude of flaws, Certain Uncertainties’ position as a wandering step towards new manifestations of Dream Unending’s magic inherently weakens its power. But it’s not the stylistic experimentation that hurts Certain Uncertainties so much as the way it undermines some of the band’s greatest assets. The aforementioned lack of distortion and atmosphere on many guitar parts that would previously have had it may have been designed for a more grounded take, but their comparatively lacklustre aura is disheartening. Bluesier, jazzier passages (“Blinding Allure,” “Strained Sincerity”) feel pulled out of Dream Unending’s soul even when the ideas are new, and it’s only the specific aspects of puzzling placidness (“Rubato,” “Causal”) or polarising guest cleans³ (Brendan Radigan on “I Carry Your Burden”) that drags songs down. It leads to an emotionally confusing experience as the music projects—and often does actualise—a picture of layered and gorgeous genius that I desperately want to fall in love with, but contains just enough odd discrepancies not to win me over wholeheartedly.

It’s a testament to Dream Unending’s skill that Certain Uncertainties, despite its vagaries, is still so good. Though the mellower leanings and reductions in atmosphere and scale do dilute the band’s characteristic wonder, that character remains. It doesn’t hurt that Derrick Vella can really fucking play, so the guitars are consistently a joy to listen to. Together with Justin DeTore’s subterranean growls and sure-footed percussion, the duo craft lift even the album’s weaker areas to a level many bands would be proud to reach on a good day. Such imaginative, beautiful musicianship makes me confident that the Dream is still Unending.

Rating: Good
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Dream Stream
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 30th, 2026

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