Marrow Of The Spirit

Black,Post,Folk and Pagan call it what you like i prefer to just say music for this band. Agalloch no strangers to being avantgarde with there style but this album takes the listener to new heights. In an era when the 3 minute song and childish djs plugging some of the worst music in history the world needs bands like Agalloch to remind us what music was about in the first place. From the first second to the last second we are treated to an assault on our senses that at times is so heartfelt that im amazed there is not a warning on the box. This is the album of the year, decade and possibly of all time.

Agalloch have, in their long running career, experimented with many genres from black metal, post-metal, progressive and even plain old folk. I think it is safe to say that Marrow of the Spirit is a culmination of their efforts over the past 15 years, and a strong representation of their experimental styles within the metal genre. This album fits mainly in the domain of folk metal and has an overall feel and consistency that is akin to Moonsorrow's approach to an album. Everything about this album is fantastic as it seamlessly switches between folk, black, post-metal and doom, but still keeping a common thread.

The opening track They Escaped the Weight of Darkness begins with a babbling brook and birdsong before the beautifully sombre cello of guest musician Jackie Perez Gratz floats in. The track reminds me somewhat of the effect that the early Swedish metal bands would go for, songs like Katatonia's Elohim Meth or At The Gate's And the World Returned that would provide an atmospheric interlude before the onslaught continued. This fantastic opener gently sooths the listener before he is launched, almost jarringly, into one of the heavier black metal songs that Agalloch have been responsible for. Into the Painted Grey sets a strong tone for how the album will continue, and the fantastic union of fast paced black metal and expertly worked out melody is something that continues throughout Marrow to create an evocative and moving record. It is worth mentioning that the band made a conscious decision to record the whole album directly to analogue which helps give that atmospheric and indicative feel so important to the genre.

The Watcher's Monolith focuses more on a folk metal sound and is reminiscent of Moonsorrow. This perhaps isn't the most memorable track but in the grand scheme of things it is an integral part of the album and leads nicely into the atmospheric, post-metal Black Lake Niðstång. This song is amazingly morose and hints at a Cult of Luna format. The painfully harrowing death screams of John Haughm make this one of the finest songs of the genre I have heard and add to the already burdened atmosphere and power of this album. The slow build-up and classical guitar all help to enthrall and stimulate as the journey of the album takes a sombre if not welcome turn away from folk metal by definition, if not by mood.

Gratz returns once again in To Drown, the final song of the album, and what follows is a beautiful, peaceful but eerie ten minute epic which finely completes Marrow and has that fantastic ability to deliver a cathartic feeling that one should feel after listening to this sort of album. The most amazing percussive, resounding outro sums up what most of the songs on Marrow achieve; which is that there is originality and a sense of surprise in each song, but while listening every song seems to go where you want it to. There are no parts that feel too unexpected or out of place and I feel that this is a defining feature of the album. It is something which Moonsorrow achieve in Havitetty, which makes a half hour song go by without causing boredom. This really is one of the finest folk metal/everything else metal albums I have heard for a long time.

This album is a must for fans of Moonsorrow, Ulver, Fen, Cult of Luna.

Like all *really* good albums, this one takes a while to get into. At first listen it just seems more extreme and not as well-built as previous albums. But after listen 4 or 5 you start to really get it. The strong and intricate melodies are there, the definitive Agalloch sound shines through.

So what have we here? Is it the next logical step for the band? I'd say yes, the previous three albums are way more alike to each other than any of them is to Marrow of the Spirit. This one explores new highs and new lows, progressive metal at its best.

Agalloch fans need not hesitate in buying this new piece. And for others, if you're a fan of bands like Isis or Opeth, you definitely need to give this a try.
Great stuff!