Wodensthrone - Loss
Black Metal is by no means an easy genre to love. The style itself requires a lot from its listeners, but beyond that is the fact that about 80-90% (subjective estimation) is total shit. I have been a huge BM fan for quite a few years and lately I've been frustrated with the way bands have been "reinventing" the style. This is not to say that there haven't been any stellar releases recently, quite the contrary if one looks at bands like Krallice, Drudkh, Marduk, and Funeral Mist; but it feels like for every shinning example there are 10 pieces of shit trying to pass as tr00 or kvlt.
I am pleased to announce that Wodensthrone have outshined their competition with a stunning debut. To say that this has been a good year for BM would be an understatement. Along with releases from the bands listed above, 2009 has seen exceptional work from Horna, Culted, Orcustus, and Deathspell Omega, and in my opinion you'd be hard-pressed to find a better BM release than Wodensthrone's Loss.
As the title of this review states, Loss is what I expected to see from Wolves in the Throne Room's Black Cascade, which was good but not great. Wodensthrone play what they call English Heritage Black Metal, which totally falls into my pet peeve of stupid and unnecessary sub genres, but I'll let it slide because at its core Loss is traditional BM with hints of folk music added for atmospheric purposes. The success of this album lies within its atmosphere. Wodensthrone do a bang-up job of combining relentless BM riffage with traditional folk music. The result is cold and bleak, just the way BM should sound.
Another aspect of Loss that adds to the overall effect are the vocals. The desperate howls of Brunwulf coupled with the lower and more guttural vocals provided by Wildeþrýð round out the bands sound and add enough depth to keep the vocals from getting monotonous. There is a slight symphonic element present, but it's buried in the mix enough that it doesn't sound cheesy.
In a year spotted with fantastic BM releases, Wodensthrone have made their mark. For me it's a toss up which BM album can be credited as the "best," but right now Loss is at the top of the heap.
xoxo
Beardo
I am pleased to announce that Wodensthrone have outshined their competition with a stunning debut. To say that this has been a good year for BM would be an understatement. Along with releases from the bands listed above, 2009 has seen exceptional work from Horna, Culted, Orcustus, and Deathspell Omega, and in my opinion you'd be hard-pressed to find a better BM release than Wodensthrone's Loss.
As the title of this review states, Loss is what I expected to see from Wolves in the Throne Room's Black Cascade, which was good but not great. Wodensthrone play what they call English Heritage Black Metal, which totally falls into my pet peeve of stupid and unnecessary sub genres, but I'll let it slide because at its core Loss is traditional BM with hints of folk music added for atmospheric purposes. The success of this album lies within its atmosphere. Wodensthrone do a bang-up job of combining relentless BM riffage with traditional folk music. The result is cold and bleak, just the way BM should sound.
Another aspect of Loss that adds to the overall effect are the vocals. The desperate howls of Brunwulf coupled with the lower and more guttural vocals provided by Wildeþrýð round out the bands sound and add enough depth to keep the vocals from getting monotonous. There is a slight symphonic element present, but it's buried in the mix enough that it doesn't sound cheesy.
In a year spotted with fantastic BM releases, Wodensthrone have made their mark. For me it's a toss up which BM album can be credited as the "best," but right now Loss is at the top of the heap.
xoxo
Beardo
http://rapidshare.com/files/295281518/Wodensthrone_-_2009_-_Loss.rar
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