Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
Rating
RIYL
BurzumUlver
Weakling
Drudkh
Release Date
09/13/2011
Label
Southern LordTracklist
01. Thuja Magus Imperium02. Permanent Changes in Consciousness
03. Subterranean Initiation
04. Rainbow Illness
05. Woodland Cathedral
06. Astral Blood
07. Prayer Of Transformation
Users Rating |
Your RatingCreate an account or log in to rate this album |
Recent Ratings |
|
|
|
|
|
Atmospheric black metal isn't something new to music, but Wolves in the Throne Room may be one of the first bands to bring it overseas, barely hanging on to the corner of the America in rainy and dismal Olympia, Washington. You might be asking yourself, “What in the hell is atmospheric black metal?” or, “Isn't black metal already full of atmosphere?” Sure, it is, but bands like Burzum and Velvet Cacoon take influences from the genre, add a layer of buzzy dreaminess to it, and voila, you have a sub-genre rife with creative movements and shoe-black-gazey-metal endeavors.
To those who are still uninitiated, imagine it as hearing a Dissection song deep within your sleep, but suddenly the vicious tremolo-picked guitars are soaked in reverb and layers of seeping dissonance deluge the song with gorgeous melodies only Explosions in the Sky should be playing. Wolves in the Throne Room's previous records drummed up a large fan base thanks to their overflowing, gorgeous melodies. Two Hunters is one of the darker records they've written, but also possesses their most beautiful moments of nearly post-rock ambience within its songs. And on their previous record, Black Cascade, the band focused more on aggression in the first couple of tracks, and then they broke down into some of the most somber and unexpected passages in the latter two.
However, on Celestial Lineage you shouldn't expect to hear such blatant beauty. In fact, due to the last two tracks on Black Cascade being so unordinarily angelic in their melodies, disappointment was the first thing to come to mind as I was finishing a first spin of the new record. This time the band asks you to dig a bit deeper. Celestial Lineage truly is a beautiful album, but in its own fucked-up and twisted way. Immediately apparent is how unbelievably foggy and buzzy the album's atmosphere is. This is something that Black Cascade lacked and what made Two Hunters feel more unique. Although Two Hunters is indeed extremely dark feeling, Celestial Lineage might be even darker and colder than anything the band has released.
A voice familiar to fans of earlier material, Jessika Kenney's gorgeous vocals are once again heard over the synths and tremolo as the opening opus “Thuja Magus Imperium” begins. The structure of this piece is unlike any song written by the band before, being bookended by droning ambience. In fact, there are only a few minutes out of the 12 that have any sort of aggression at all, but the few minutes that do are penetrating, delivering honest and raw guitar leads that blast in and out of each other. Once transitioning into the crescendo of drone, the ending guitars that are foreshadowed in the song's intro come full force in the most mystically haunting of tones, creating one of the most eerie yet breathtaking moments this band has ever created.
If one were disappointed with the lack of actual black metal in the opening track, quickly following the short interlude featuring chanting from Aaron Turner of Isis, “Subterranean Initiation” slams through your speakers with anger, grit, and buzzy dissonance. Turner's hums break through later in the track during a buildup of double bass and hammering guitars that, instead of exploding into something bigger, fall apart into an eerie nightmare of sounds and drone.
“Woodland Cathedral” and the mesmerizing closer “Prayer of Transformation” showcase that Wolves in the Throne Room were definitely set out to write something different from their previous work this time around. Both songs stray away from the typical writing style of fast drums and guitar. It seems the band's biggest focus on Celestial Lineage was to create as much imagery as possible for the listener, and that feeling is most apparent with the final masterpiece. The growing buzz and trembling guitars, aching bass line and steady drum beat, paint an environment for the listener that feels like walking through a wooded area somehow embedded in the clouds just below outer space: somewhere that's completely unlike anywhere you've ever been, yet feels astonishingly familiar. In the final moments of this powerful piece, with the gazing guitars rushing louder and louder through the speakers until finally cutting out into the sound of the night air, the melodies that occurred for the first seven minutes still stick with you until well after even the sound of night concludes.
Not one of the songs on Celestial Lineage stands out to be the best of the best, but there's no denying that the ending of the album, and the album as a whole, feel much more affective and memorable than just about anything they've done before. Now the only thing left to do is hear how much better this album can sound on vinyl with the characteristic hiss accompanying the already fog-soaked atmosphere.
--Christopher Pandolfo
Comments
Baton Rouge
P...Pandolfo?
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Fishers, Indiana
P to the Andolfo in the hizzouse.
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Minnesota
Find me EVERYWHERE:
No one cares because everyone's like 'Who is P...Pandolfo?'
I USED TO MEAN SOMETHING 'ROUND THESE PARTS!
Fuck you, Rick!
Minnesota
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Fishers, Indiana
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Lehigh Valley, PA
Wales
Good god
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF9Cm4E15E
I GO TO WORK
Minnesota
Ask and you shall receive...
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Reno, NV
Can't say I like their older stuff a whole hell of a lot after investigation.... Like a lot of reviews on here, the review makes it sound so awesome, but I am quickly let down when I get to actually listening to the stuff. Appreciate your descriptive ability Chris and I enjoy reading the nerd/techy-bash fest going on here, which makes me a nerd I guess for laughing....
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
Fishers, Indiana
I guess the issue with our reviews making the album sound good to a facetious degree is part a question of taste and part us not considering a greater audience. Within its niche, this is a great black metal album, but is it a great album for someone relatively new to the band and the genre?
You can write either review, though it's tough to write both reviews. Chris writes straight-up for the niche. I tend to also write for the niche, but I usually give star ratings from the viewpoint of someone who would casually read the site but not necessarily love the album I'm reviewing. As a reader, you have to decide if the description is definitely something you want. So when Chris says ten minute songs with foggy production, buzzing and drone, I've got a pretty good idea that this isn't going to be anywhere close to a 4 for me and that I probably won't be listening. But that doesn't mean his review is wrong or misleading... necessarily.
Does that make sense?
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Zach summed that up perfectly. I made this sound awesome, because it is. But...you also gotta look at the RIYL. If you don't know of or like any of those bands and I'm saying it's awesome...you might not agree.
Minnesota
Zach and Chris... Niche Inspectors!
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Fishers, Indiana
Rick you so funny
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Minnesota
Is it sad that I'll probably spend at least 15 minutes of my day watching that gif wink at me?
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Lehigh Valley, PA
Right there with ya, Rick.
Reno, NV
Makes perfect sense, Zach. I try to interpret the reviews towards what I know I like. I however, am not much of a creative reader/writer and am just easily swayed by strong descriptions given in a lot of reviews here. If anything, I enjoy reading the reviews so if I don't end up liking what was reviewed, there is really nothing hurt other than a little time wasted that I could be listening to something I enjoy. To be fair, I didn't listen to any of their stuff through, rather just some previews and samples, which I know over a 10 minute song could be dangerous to rate. And I do like Drudkh by the way, which along with your description Chris got my blood pumping. The vocals were what drove me scared.
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
Minnesota
So I actually listened to this (note: I've never really gotten into anything WITR have done) and it is tolerable for what it is, but it isn't the type of blackglaze that I like to listen to. They can't hold a candle to Alcest or Les Secretes. That being said, if WITR were to eliminate their vocals completely I'd be able to tolerate it much, much more (and might like a few tracks). The harsh vocals just sound ridiculous.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
The harsh vocals sound like...black metal vocals? But I'm glad you gave it a proper listen and TWOed IT?! <3
Illinois
this is the only thing i got out of this entire comment section.
last.fm/user/tragedyl0ve
twitter.com/1000cleverlines
1000cleverlines.tumblr.com
Fishers, Indiana
You're all welcome.
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Minnesota
Which I think is one big issue with blackglaze--black metal vocals feel out of place, which is why, even if I love the music and atmosphere if a band tosses on top of it poorly screamed black metal vocals I just can't keep listening. Having some black metal vocals pepper into songs is ok, but when it's the only monontonously used vocal style I just get turned off fast.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
West Haven, CT
I love all forms of Metal. Black Metal holds a little place in my heart as well. From what I've heard so far these guys are pretty decent. I like where it took me. AKA Ricks living room.
Fuckings Greatest Hits: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008