Agalloch - The White EP

Artists:Agalloch
Album: The White EP
Year: 2008
Genre:Ambient - folk, Neo-folk, Symphonic/Folk Metal
Bitrate:160 Kbps
Country:United States

Hailing from the misty forests of Portland Oregon, Agalloch has earned themselves a substantial cult following with their blend of atmospheric black metal that incorporates folk and ambient elements, producing several critically acclaimed albums and EPs over the last decade. The White EP continues on with the band’s distinguished tradition with a renewed emphasis on the neo-folk aspect of their sound, mostly relying on acoustic guitars, hushed vocals and atmospheric effects to get to black heart of this dark genre.

The White EP is essentially calls for a return to nature, as the songs conjure images of snow covered wilderness (”Birch White”), contemplative seclusion (”Isle of Summer”) and paganism’s worship of the elements (”Sowilo Rune”). The whole experience, made complete with natural sound effects like chirping and rustling, is meditative and comforting, conveying a deep and eternal connection with our natural surroundings. The delicate piano lines that grace the final two tracks carefully lead us out of the forest and into the cold twilight, confirming that Agalloch’s intentions give credence to emotional appeals rather than sheer volume. The White EP, steeped in mellow atmosphere and naturalistic overtones, vividly captures the haunting beauty of winter. While these songs never reach the chilling climaxes the band has conquered on their previous full lengths, they still manage to build on the folk traditions that make their sound seem so natural and unique. It will interesting to see where the new paths explored here will lead to on their next LP. Recommended.

Mutyumu — Mutyumu

Artist:Mutyumu
Album: Mutyumu
Year: 2006
Genre:Rock, Experimental, Avantgarde, Symponic Metal, Piano
Country:Japan

A quite original debut from this japanese band.

Mixing rock, metal and ambient music, with slight influences from folk music and jazz; this is a highly eclectic mix of tunes. The band has a well developed sense of drama, and are fond of mixing styles in individual tunes as well as creating variation from one tune to the next.

TRACK LIST:

1. Koku 5:28
2. Zantetsu 4:44
3. Kronos Kairos 5:46
4. Fujyo Kouhuku Sanka 6:14
5. Sonzai No Kakuritsu 3:17
6. Madouin Mousou Tenshi Kyoku 4:55
7. Tetsu No Hanataba 8:53
8. Syosou Kuka Gengai No Sirabe 4:30
9. Rakuen 12:44
10. Mumu No Renzokukousa 1:41
11. Hakugoku No Yume 4:46
12. Tata 4:25

LINEUP:

Ryota Yoda - guitars
Jyunpei Suda - drums
Hachisunoit - vocals
Yuko Ikenaga - keyboards
Chiaki Okamoto - violin, bass

myspace

Mutyumu - Il y a

Artist:Mutyumu
Album: Il y a
Year: September 2008
Genre:Rock, Experimental, Avantgarde, Symponic Metal, Piano
Country:Japan



Track 3

MUTYUMU is a band from Japan, formed in 2001, and their self-titled debut was released in October 2006.Mutyumu are a five (or six)-person group whose web site describes them as a “funeral classical band,” an interesting concept. How else to describe a group that somehow fuses chamber music, death metal, Dead Can Dance, and Godspeed You Black Emperor-style drama into their songs? The tracks here range from a delicate piano intro, a heavy keys-drums-guitar fuzz piece, rock-metal-violin opera, and more. Vocalist Hachisunoit can sound like a demon or an angel, and the music supports whichever role she takes on.Mutyumu list an extensive roster of influences to their music; among the artists mentioned are Johann Sebastian Bach, Dead Can Dance, U2, Nine Inch Nails and Dimmu Borgir - a wide range of influences, all of which are actual musical references.

Ryota Yoda - guitars
Jyunpei Suda - drums
Hachisunoit - vocals
Yuko Ikenaga - keyboards
Chiaki Okamoto - violin, bass

A weird and wonderful musical journey

Will you like it? I think the answer depends on your tolerance for wildly disparate kinds of music; your patience for long and perhaps self-indulgent (though always melodic) mostly instrumental compositions; and, probably, your mood when you put this disc into your CD player. I’m going to recommend it not only because of the band’s bravery and talent but also because, wildly divergent though the styles on this album are, the whole thing is interesting, even beguiling. Just be warned that you’re in for a unique experience.Fans of experimental music in general, and in particular those with musical tastes ranging from metal to ambient, classical and jazz should find this release to be quite fascinating.
The album Il y a is planned to releasefor September 25, 2008!!

Haggard - And Thou Shalt Trust... The Seer

Artist:Haggard
Album: And Thou Shalt Trust... The Seer
Year: 1997
Genre:Symphonic Metal
Country:Germany

Haggard was founded in 1991 and started playing unoriginal and a little bit uninspired death metal. After releasing four demos and one single they managed to change their musicial style to something way sophisticated – then Haggard became one of the first classical/orchestral/symphonic metal in the world.

Their initial full lenght album, recorded in new style, was published in late 1997 and gave them huge popularity and many fans all around (especially in South America). Worth mentioning is the fact, that sixteen musicians took part in recording this masterpiece!..more

Virgin Black - Requiem - Mezzo Forte

Artist: Virgin Black
Album: Requiem - Mezzo Forte
Year: 2007
Genre:Symphonic metal,
Neo-classical
Country: Australia











Virgin Black is an Australian band that combines gothic-doom and symphonic metal influences. The group has released three full-length albums, with another two due for release in 2007. While members of Virgin Black have Christian beliefs, the band has often sought to explain that its music is an exploration of spirituality and attempts to highlight the difference between the Church and the spiritual aspects of Christianity. The group explains the meaning of its name as "the juxtaposition of purity and humanity's darkness".

"Breathtaking". That's the only way I can think to start this review. I've used that word to describe music before, but never really in a literal sense. Virgin Black's newest epic masterpiece, "Requiem – Mezzo Forte", is just that... breathtaking. This album is what I believe to be one of the most important releases in metal (and perhaps all of music) in the past decade. And I can honestly say, when I first heard it, I didn't breath for about 20 seconds. This work of art truly is breathtaking.

Simply put, this album is 52 minutes of gothic beauty. This album is a gorgeous meeting of metal and orchestral music. It features the music of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, whose depressing mournful sound bleeds perfectly together with VB's harsher metal element. Some sections are all symphonic, while others are pure metal, but the two shining together simultaneously is what really makes this album so special.

The vocals on this album really are top-notch. Rowan London's tenor voice sounds better then ever. And when he's not singing with his amazing full-voice, he is growling with his guttural death metal vocals. While his growls are extremely rough, they don't come across as violent, but rather desperate and grief-stricken. Virgin Black has also added Susan Johnson as a soprano vocalist. This woman is capable of not only reaching amazing range of high notes, but also conveying awe-inspiring amounts of sorrowful emotion with her voice. This album also features a large amount of choir vocals. From a strong majestic choir, to a dark sounding choir whose style almost sound like Gregorian chants, to a death choir. That's right, A FREAKIN' DEATH CHOIR; a group of death metal vocalist growling in choir fashion… a truly breathtaking sound to behold.

Virgin Black's guitarist, Samantha Escarbe, is truly amazing on this album. From her lamentful soaring melodies, to her crushing metal riffs on "In Death" and "Domine"… she's got it all.

Requiem is a concept album, following the concept of an actual funeral mass for the dead. Because of this, the lyrics on this album are by far Virgin Black's darkest. It's basically a sorrowful 52 minute lament to God. It's hard to believe anyone with a soul could listen to this music and not be emotionally affected by such depressing lyrics.

Another thing I love about this album is the inter-album references. ie. small phrases are repeated subtly throughout the album. This is a reference to how "classical" music develops its themes. This creates the effect that the album is one piece of music, rather then individual tracks. Another example would be the final track Rest Eternal, which is basically a stunning reprise of the first track with added guitars to create a grand and epic closure to the album.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about this album is that it is part of a trilogy. So I still two more pieces of art in this vein to look forward to. If they are half as breathtaking as this album, they will instantly be in my top-ten. Virgin Black is definitely one of the most important bands in all of music. I could go on and on about how much I love this album, but I think I'll just end it here.
In conclusion: If you ever buy another CD in your life, buy "Requiem – Mezzo Forte" by Virgin Black. It really is breathtaking.(metal-archives.com-by DemonOfTheFall27)

Estatic Fear - A Sombre Dance

Artist: Estatic Fear
Album: A Sombre Dance
Year: 1999
Genre:Symphonic metal,
Neo-classical
Country: Austria











Estatic Fear is an Austrian symphonic metal band. Their songs include elements of several different genres, such as Classical, Doom Metal and Folk music.The band was founded in the year of 1994 with the intent of combining both classical melodies, Dark metal and Gothic metal styles in an instrumental mixture of lute, flute, piano and cello.
Three years after the release of their elegiac and magnificent "Omnium Obmutum" (1996) Estatic Fear returned with another album filled with intense emotions and inspiration. The name of it "A Sombre Dance" and for one more time this Austrian act managed to give a title fitting with the atmosphere of the compositions in the most ideal way. Indeed the album is "a sombre dance" while you lose yourself dancing, manoeuvring in the esotericism of melancholy and visions that come forth from tales of medieval sorrow and grief. When the time comes to compare "A Sombre Dance" to "Somnium Obmutum", the first in terms of song structure is for sure more affected and every single passage is well-thought and well-put, showing that the band has matured a lot in these three years. The variety of the instruments participating remains wide and the instrument interpretation on "A Sombre Dance" is better, with every member of the band and guest musician pouring themselves in the final outcome. Of course the folk touch has remained and it is vivid mainly in the acoustic passages. The compositions this time have a Haggard approach and they are less doom metal oriented, but don't think that Estatic Fear have become a Haggard rip off band, there's no way that this would happen, they just lend some elements from their sound and that's all. Another influence someone may notice is Loreena McKennitt that seems to have spread her seeds in the band as well (just listen to "Part I", if the vocal lines and structure won't remind you of Loreena McKennitt then I don't know what to say). This time the rhythm section is vivid in the sound of the band, but still it doesn't hold the ideal place in the production, but it's definitely better than on "Somnium Ombutum"
and lends a more dynamic approach to the compositions.
The guitar work for one more time is
utterly inspired and high
quality. The classical guitar passages
are just fabulous and
they lend the album a fragile and
dreamy or melancholic
feeling whereas the distorted guitar
riffing makes the overall
atmosphere more powerful. The orchestral
passages are
highly inspired and come straight from the heart. The piano and the keyboard melodies evoke a dark and melancholic romanticism or a more vivid and intense atmosphere in the air, the flute lends its magical touch as well in the structure of the songs and every other classical instrument partaking in the overall outcome does its best to make the emotions deeper. The female operatic vocals this time are being used more and they are more affected, whereas the male vocals remain grunting, sounding in a way distorted at times, making the emotional charge more intense.(metalstorm.ee)
A RARE GEM ---- A MASTERPIECE!!!

October Falls - Marras (Eight Hymns For Scheol And Nature)

Artist: October Falls
Album: Marras
Year: 2005
Country:Finland

Genre:Instrumental,Folk-Metal

Originally a solo project of M. Lehto.M. Lehto's project has been around for some time now and has so far produced one praiseworthy demo, _Tuoni_, which has just been re-released on the USA based Dark Horizon label. _Marras_ is what you might call the proper debut of October Falls: a richly textured and skillfully executed collection of entirely acoustic, folk-driven Finnish hymns to the pale Northern Nature. Dwelling comfortably in the German philosophical concept of "Naturmystik" and borrowing quite a lot from Empyrium's _Where at Night the Woodgrouse Plays_ and _Weiland_, October Falls nevertheless shows distinctive personality as well as good understanding of just how to create intimate and somber atmosphere. Utilizing acoustic guitars, cello, piano and flutes, Lehto has achieved an almost classic neo folk sound devoid of vocals. (His voice can only be heard in the shamanic chants that serve as interludes between the eight unnamed tracks.) A very good debut effort and a sign for even better things to come, or at least so I reckon. Worthy of your undivided attention, to be sure.(chroniclesofchaos.com)

Sad and flowing with melancholy, sophisticated yet minimalistic, this dark folk act from Finland offers their second album of autumnal wanderings and wonderings...Do not miss this dark sad and melancholic acoustic art that is Highly recommended for those with true artistic tastes!

Empyrium - 1)Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays 2)Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields

EMPYRIUM started as German symphonic folk/doom metal and later neofolk band founded in 1994 by Markus Stock (mostly using the pseudonym Ulf T. Schwadorf) and Andreas Bach, but later many other participated. Their first two albums, A Wintersunset and Songs of Moors and Misty Fields, following a demo entitled ...Der wie ein Blitz vom Himmel fiel..., can be considered doom metal (or, as some will argue, folk metal) with folk and symphonic influences. They combine harsh and operatic male vocals, with deep slow guitar parts and atmospheric sounds.The following two albums, Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays and Weiland are acoustic, display a constantly heavier neofolk influence.

Artist: Empyrium
Album: Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields
Year: 1997
Genre:Symphonic metal,
Neofolk,Neo-classical

A GREAT GREAT ALBUM!!

In Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields EMPYRIUM combine the expectable metallic elements and synths with piano, acoustic guitars, flute and cello; however, none of this ever seems to have been just 'thrown in', something which bands who use this kind of enhancements to their metal are often (sometimes accurately, others needlessly) accused of. Everything fits here; everything has a purpose, and the musicianship found in this very doomy, yet majestic album is truly remarkable. The deep, clean vocals found in Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields may not be everyone's favourite style, but they suit the music so well that it just doesn't matter. These clean vox are quite varied too, and both deep spoken and various kinds of chanted parts are to be found, as well as several blackened vox sections. Extremely moody and superbly executed.

Artist: Empyrium
Album: Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays
Year: 1999
Genre:Ambient,Symphonic metal,
Neofolk,Neo-classical









Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays is a melodic acoustic neo folk masterpiece. Give it a spin and you'll find yourself in a dark, misty German forest at night, encountering ghosts and dark, natural forces. It creates a wonderful atmosphere that encapsulates the listener, without being too intense. Infact it's simple melodies are rather calming and soothing, even though slightly chilling.EMPYRIUM have created an extraordinary album!!