This band's 2015 album "Heart of Akamon" was pretty much flawless when it comes to folky black metal, now they are just returning to their folk roots. Have not covered much neo-folk recently, so here we go. I like the darker, more ethereal mood that comes from the title track, which is the first full-length song following the more ambient opening track. Seeing that they are from West Virginia, they are capturing more indigenous sounds, lots of woodwind. "tpiwewe" which delves into the ancient Indian myth of the man who needed toilet paper for his wiwi, shows the metal lurking in their music with the subtle aggression in their guitar playing.
This album continues to be a series of acoustic guitar pieces, that are impressive but less song oriented than if I was listening to the Gypsy Kings or Al Dimeola. Where they Gypsy Kings incorporate vocals to solidify songs, Dimeola does but uses compositions to do the story telling, where these instrumentals, are not given enough sonic layers to expand into a story and are more of an idea, than a fully fleshed out presentation. "Precipice of Stone' is dark enough in its introspection. "Great Meadows Vista" has more movement to it and layers, perhaps the best of these compositions.
"Nemacolin's Path" is just a guitar that sounds like it would be playing in the background at a store that sells crystals and incense. I would say it sounds more like an interlude, but that is the whole album. There is more to the last song in terms of layers of instrumentation. At the end of the day, when it comes to neo-folk, my tastes are more along the lines of Wardruna or Death in June. Still, these guys made the album they set out to make, it's just not what I am personally into, but I can still acknowledge the artistry of it and give this album an 8.
\
No comments:
Post a Comment