Customer Reviews

Ashes Against the Grain

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Reviewgium - Volume I, issue XVI

I was never really familiar with Agalloch until just a few months ago, and to be honest, this is the first album I have ever bought by them. I have been meaning to pick up their highly-acclaimed album The Mantle for quite some time, but...well, I digress. Ashes Against the Grain...this album...I really don't know where to start on this one. I really have never quite heard anything quite like it before. It is hard to describe because it is really an incredibly unique alloy of so many different stylings; a mystifying potpourri of musical elements, blended to form a perfect "aural aroma." Perhaps the cover sticker described the style of the album best as a blend of "black metal, Scandinavian prog, and post-rock." But even this is not an apt description of the music itself. It is metal, yet not metal. It is sinister yet benign. Abrasive yet sinuous. Simple yet complex. Ugly and beautiful at the same time. It is as if God and Satan put aside their differences for just a brief celestial moment, sat down in the crisp forests of the American northwest, and made an album together.

The album is a sea of atmospheric acoustic passages, driving electric rhythms, and pristine solo figures, that all complement and overlap each other in a meaningful way. The vocals are dark and grating at times, clean and mysterious at others. It's not really fair to compare them to typical death/black metal vocals, because they are not really shouting, screaming, or grunting. Just dark and wispy, like an icy wind blowing through the fading treetops on a clear night in the early winter. As for the clean vocals, listening to them like hearing the reincarnated soul of an invincible medieval warrior from the 12th century. Not in a cheeseball power metal way, but in a "we actually travelled back in time and lived in a medieval forest-village for five years to get ideas for this album" way. Definite album highlights include "Falling Snow"--that strong solo guitar that starts and pervades the track is excellent--and "Fire Above, Ice Below" with its interwoven yet perfectly straightforward guitarwork. The haunting 3-track "Our Fortress Is Burning" is a great piece that seems to summarize within twenty minutes everything this band can do: from the mystic acoustics, to the enthralling vocals, the symetrical-raindrop solos, the eerie soundscapes, and finally what seems to be the entire band fading away into the shrouded depths of the forest, to return only when they deem us worthy to behold their visages again.

Ashes Against the Grain is one of my strongest recommendations of the year, almost worthy of a ranking higher than a 9/10, and will definitely rank within my top ten albums of 2006. (Edit: I now rate this album 10/10.)

Agalloch, has done it again. "It" being the creation of another masterpiece. Agalloch, IMO, has forged a melancholic, sad, despairing, and yet hopeful brick of Grey metal. I am not pigeon-holing this band, I am saying that Grey metal is a distinct and clear vision that Agalloch has constructed. Is this as good or better than their previous records, well you the listener decide. On AATG, Jason Walton's bass is more up front in the mix, which to me is a good thing. The drumming has improved with the addition of Chris Greene. J.Haughm, however, played drums on "Not unlike the Waves" and "Falling Snow." The production is superb, as the mix has greatly improved with each release. The musicanship is filled with tension and release. I've had the special wood-box edition for 2 weeks now, and after several listens, I'm still hearing different nuances in the music. Brilliant songwriting. BTW, the wood-box edition is a burnished brown wood with Agalloch ingrained across the slip-off top. Very cool packaging. These guys are the masters at what they do. Which is convey their concepts of this world, and the condition of this planet we all inhabit. And let's be realistic, it really is not a wonderful existance. Music that makes you smile is very important, but music bringing about truth and a certain realism is also important. This is what Agalloch's music can do. There is sadness in beauty, and beauty in sadness. And that, my friends, is Agalloch's Grey soundscape.

It's been a long 4 years since Agalloch's last opus, "The Mantle". Since then, fans have been entertained with various EPs, Sculptured, ELS and Nothing...all of which has been good and nice, but it wasn't Agalloch. The waiting is over. Ashes Against the Grain is here, and it does not disappoint at all.

8 tracks long and clocking in at around an hour, this is an album you will not be pushing the skip button during. The album opens with "Limbs", which begins with a very post rock type intro. It reminds me of "The Lodge (dismantled)" off the Grey EP before an ominous acoustic intro segues into a standard Agalloch sound. As always, the band seemlessly weave folk music, black metal, post rock, noise, nature and everything else into an extremely cohesive and addicting mixture. The second track is "Falling Snow" which ups the tempo up a bit. Here, I will mention that the addition of Chris Greene on drums was an excellent choice. Greene does not miss a beat, and his playing is extremely stylish (not too conservative, but not too modest). "Fire Above, Ice Below" is the longest track of the album, and also one of the standouts. The following track is my favorite, "Not Unlike the Waves". Here, Haughm does probably his most intense vocal performance since their demo--very much in the style of Burzum. The song, as all of them are, is hypnotic.

The album closes with the "Our Fortress Is Burning" trilogy. Comparisons can be drawn to the "She Painted Fire" trilogy from the "Pale Folklore" cd. Infact, there is only a few seconds difference between the two trios. The first part is instrumental and sets the mood, leading straight into the second section of the song proclaiming "The god of man is a failure". What's interesting to note is that the trilogy is dedicated to Escape the Day's frontman, Florian, who tragically died earlier this year. The band, particularly Don Anderson, were fans of the band and of Florians work. I definitely encourage you to check out Escape the Day's myspace. The ending track is the one you will probably hear the most complaints about. The last track is a mixture of feedback and other noises. To me it simulates the bleak, desolate landscape that has become mankind. The last line of "Our Fortress is Burning Pt. II" is "and all of our shadows are ashes against the grain". Eerie. The last track does not act as a comforting close to an epic. Instead, I believe it serves to let the listener reflect on what he/she has just experienced and to almost meditate on its meanings. To me, it is just as vital to the album as Burzum's "Tomhet" was to Hvis Lyset Tar Oss or Drudkh's "Smell of Rain" off the "Forgotten Legends cd.

Uncomparable musicianship, thought provoking lyrics and equally important artwork all play into the experience of Ashes Against the Grain. As with all Agalloch efforts, it takes a few listens to really get a grasp as to what's going on. Once it clicks, though, you become hooked. If you're looking for your album of 2006, look no further.

An American metal band influenced by heavy European guitar music that doesn't sound like Iron Maiden or In Flames? With a "Loveless"-inspired album cover? Fascinating, Mr. Spock might say of Agalloch and their new record.

The sound is like Explosions in the Sky engaging in a (perhaps one-sided) battle with Celtic Frost in the parking lot of a cathedral. A reverse-delayed guitar aria begins "Limbs"-- skin crawls from the chilly reverberation of a war horn blown through a mountain range. The song swan-dives into a roiling sea of distorted guitar, piano-cum-acoustic-strumming, and even an evanescent "Something in the Way"-toned break featuring naught but a lone acoustic guitar with dead strings. Neverending blizzards of harmonic-stew guitar crunch bury the ears on "Falling Snow," combined with growl vocals that add rather than detract from the atmosphere of the track. Chorused guitar breaks provide pivot points for the song, and further texturize Agalloch's raucous, mind-bending distortion-fueled trance music.

No, not THAT kind of trance. The good kind. Mesmerization through the paradoxically warm earthiness of screaming guitar amplifiers humming and droning. It's probably the feeling you get in your gut standing under exposed powerlines at night for over an hour, gazing at your shoes.

The "Our Fortress is Burning..." suite gains more yardage into Explosions in the Sky/Godspeed! You Black Emperor's territory, treading out slowcore, post-rock guitar. But everything is sped up: the climactic build-ups crescendo or expire/regroup with the speed of a mutating viral infection, and the guitars don't stay shimmering clean for long. Agalloch's apocalypse came by disease rather than by war-born radiation.

In a very good way, this record is all over the place. There's enough grooves to satisfy, almost enough grit to require goggles in addition to headphones, but the record is balanced with a great sense of melody/harmony (and the top notch production that such things demand). Though anchored in melody, it's hard to know what to expect from one moment to the next-- ever the mark of a great record-- making a listen-through of "Ashes Against the Grain" an absolute experience.

After Agalloch's previous album, the incredible masterpiece "The Mantle," I was strongly anticipating this new recording.

Although perhaps not as immediately gratifying as the astounding "The Mantle," "Ashes Against the Grain" is a pretty strong follow-up.

Interestingly, although there are a total of 8 tracks listed on "Ashes Against the Grain" there are, in reality, only FIVE songs, albeit all nice and long, not to mention labyrinthian in scope.

Allow me to briefly review each track:

LIMBS. This opener starts out fairly boring until the ear-catching acoustic part kicks in; from there it never lets up, building to an emotionally potent climax. Songwriter John Haughm prominently features his black metal-style growl/hiss vocals on this track, which may turn some listeners off, but I find them fitting. Besides, they grow on you with repeat listens. (I'm sure Haughm tried to sing it every other possible way but it didn't work). The lyrics are interesting while esoteric; I sure would appreciate some insights into their meaning. BOTTOM LINE: Believe it or not, I would put "Limbs" almost on a par with the incredible "In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion" from "The Mantle." RATING: 5/5 Stars.

FALLING SNOW. This is the only song on the CD that I'm not a big admirer of. The opening riff sounds like Haughm created it after doodling around with the opening riff to "Sweet Child O' Mine." Let me quickly add, however, that the song does get better as it progresses. I should also point out that "Falling Snow" is a favorite piece to many reviewers, which I have trouble figuring out. BOTTOM LINE: I could take it or (more likely) leave it. RATING: 2.5/5 Stars.

THIS WHITE MOUNTAIN ON WHICH YOU WILL DIE. This is not really a song; it's merely a 1.5 minute haunting synth piece. I like it; it nicely fits the mood of the album.

FIRE ABOVE, ICE BELOW. This one starts out with some evocative minor chords combined with powerful percussion (reminiscent of "A Celebration for the Death of Man..." from "The Mantle"). Haughm's regular singing voice is featured near the beginning. He's got a really infectious voice and should use it more often. It kinda sounds like Quorthon of Bathory on a good day (many metal-fans mock Quorthon's vocals but I LOVED them; I thought they perfectly fit his music). BOTTOM LINE: Great song! RATING: 5/5 Stars.

NOT UNLIKE THE WAVES. This one starts out with some nice acoustic strumming leading up to a simple-but-memorable heavy power-chord riff. This is John Haughm's favorite song on the CD and a video was made for it last May; there's a long and short version. BOTTOM LINE: Another great Agalloch piece. RATING: 5/5 Stars.

OUR FORTRESS IS BURNING I. "Our Fortress is Burning" is a 3-Part song consisting of the intro, the main piece, and an eerie synth epilogue. Once you hear it you'll clearly see that Parts I & II are essentially ONE song. Part I is an incredibly powerful piece. It features some phenomenal acoustic lead playing; the bass track is just as notable and captivating. While listening you'll actually envision a fortress tragically burning up.

OUR FORTRESS IS BURNING II: BLOODBIRDS. Part II slowly builds to an emotionally-potent finish where Haughm's growl/hiss vocals are prominently featured again. The song ends with tortured black-metal cries that perfectly fit the climax. BOTTOM LINE: Parts I & II are definitely one of the highlights of the recording. RATING: 5/5 Stars.

OUR FORTRESS IS BURNING III: THE GRAIN. Part III is simply an eerie and apocalyptic synth/feedback piece (reminiscent of the end credits sequence of "Apocalypse Now"). I've heard this part criticized as a waste of tape but I strongly feel that it's a very fitting epilogue to both the song and the album. It allows one to digest the aural assault and ponder the images conjured up by the lyrical/musical/sleeve presentations.

FINAL ANALYSIS: "Ashes Against the Grain" could be viewed as "The Mantle's" uglier brother. It's not better, but in its own dark way it's almost as brilliant (with the exception of "Falling Snow").

Visionary John Haughm has amassed some great musicians to manifest his songs: Lead guitarist Don Anderson, bassist Jason William Walton and drummer Chris Greene.

Both "The Mantle" and "Ashes Against the Grain" are very bleak in nature; the art, lyrics and music all reflect this. My hope is that Haughm has extinguished his pessimistic energies with these albums and that the next Agalloch project will feature tunes with an air of hope, faith and ultimate victory -- now that would truly be different! Perhaps the high praise that his musical works have garnered will spark some spiritual optimism; hopefully he'll find what he was searching for as he trekked through the lonely forests in "In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion" (which is something we ALL can relate to).

Needless to say, Agalloch create mature, epic metal soundscapes of the highest order. No kiddy-pop ditties here; Agalloch are the meat and potatoes of the genre. Some might even call them post-metal, whatever that is.

For the last decade Agalloch have been pushing the boundaries of metal, creating a sound that is truly their own by exploring territory both dark and warm from not only a musical standpoint, but vocally and lyrically as well. In 1999 they released their first full length, the astonishing Pale Folklore. A near masterpiece in itself, it was only to be eclipsed by their following output of The Mantle three years later, considered by myself and many to be a landmark in folk, doom, or whatever other subgenre of metal one could use to describe its sound. Now, after four long years, the band has returned with a slightly different approach, but one that holds up easily to their previous offerings in every imaginable way.

Beginning with possibly the best song they've ever written, the band introduce us to the warm and beautiful sounds of "Limbs". After a distant echo is left to ring and enter our concious for a short period of time, it's eclipsed by a cascading barrage of epic and powerful electronic guitars, creating an incredibly pleasant melody that continues for nearly half of the song. As the passage begins to fade, it gives way to the band's oh-so-familiar acoustics for a brief period of time, and finally introduces what will be the central melody of gorgeous tremolo riffing. More than five minutes into the track, John Haughm greets us with his unique vocal rasps. Sounding neither forced or fierce, his harsh vocals approach a sound of wonder and awe, showing a great passion for the message he's conveying to the listener. Before approaching the song's nearly indescribable climax, the melodies and vocals take a back seat to a soft and lonely acoustic arrangement. Finally, the band conclude the song with what must be their most beautiful of arrangements as a post rock inspired build-up leads itself into a somber and appropriate tremolo picked melody over John's mournful rasps. One of the most powerful endings to any song in recent memory, the final lyrics lend themselves perfectly to the imagery created by the music: "...Earth to flesh, flesh to wood, cast these limbs into the water. Flesh to wood, wood to stone, cast this stone into the water..."

Though "Limbs" is, for me, the highlight of the record, that's not to say the following tracks aren't drenched in remarkable qualities as well. The following track "Falling Snow" introduces a light and uplifting guitar lead before morphing into a moderate pace for the rest of it's near-ten minute running time. This track, and it seems the entirety of the album, is a lyrical continuation of "Limbs", in what seems to be at least a loose-concept based around the death of man, becoming one with the Earth, and the failure of humanity as a whole. Also introduced for the first time on the album are John's unique clean vocals which always manage to evoke an incredible sense of longing.

After a brief but ominous ambient piece, "Fire Above, Ice Below" gives us the most prominent example of Agalloch's imminent post rock influence within their music. Throughout the track are epic and drawn out melodies of various kinds, including a quiet composition that wouldn't have been out of place on "The Mantle". The climactic ending of the song approaches the greatness of that found on "Limbs", as an outpouring of overlapping guitar riffs drain the life from one another until the only remaining sound is of a strong and steady wind; of which briefly overlaps into "Not Unlike the Waves", yet another unique track in Agalloch's catalogue. Featuring a rare groove section that calls Opeth to mind and some agonizing Burzum-esque rasps from John, the song seems a bit more complex and involving than the others found on this record. As such, and with good reason, it may stand out to some listeners.

The album winds itself down in a trilogy of sorts with "Our Fortress Is Burning", though only the first two sections are assembled as one. Part one sets the tone for the longer, more elaborate "Bloodbirds" found in the second section. Both of these tracks are reminiscent of the material found on The Mantle, while at the same time seem to expand on the post rock tendencies scattered throughout this record. Though at first I was disappointed with the final section of this three part conclusion, I've come to embrace it with repeated listens. As a seven minute ambient piece, it is both haunting and effective, though I can't help thinking that more could have been done with the finale of this incredible album.

With Ashes Against the Grain, these men have not only become my favorite metal band, but one of my favorite artists of all time. Unlike any group before or after them, Agalloch continue to create their own form of art within music and poetry, allowing it to seem curiously familiar deep inside one's soul, yet utterly foreign on the most basic levels of explaination and understanding. Along with maybe two or three other bands, the aural arrangements created by this particular group of individuals is as close as music comes to being purely transcendent.

--Matthew Dyess

...and his name is John Haughm.

Agalloch has done it again, created a bleak, adventurous, breathtaking sonic landscape that has taken the metal world by surprise. Of course, simply "metal" does not do the band a hint of justice or explain their sound at all. Their sound has mixtures and inspirations from Post-rock, to folk-noir, to black metal, to experimental, ambient atmospheric music. This band has never simply played instruments to form songs; they extract images in your mind, building grim landscapes and perhaps stories with their dark, poetic lyrics and rich melodic layers of instruments. Of course, an open mind, concentration, and imagination are required to truly experience Agalloch. This isn't nearly for everyone.

I think anyone who likes "The Mantle" would also enjoy this album about the same. The general feel and character, are quite similar to it, well, relatively (this is much more similar to "The Mantle" than "Pale Folklore" is to "The Mantle"). Not to say it is so similar that there are no new ideas. Agalloch is always full of ideas.

"Limbs" opens up with the most distinctive, eerie and piercing melody, soon welcoming a full band, but the sound still lurking underneath the rest of the instruments. This song probably portrays the most unsettling feeling of any Agalloch song so far, however being so melodic at the same time. After a good five minutes of instrumentation twisting and winding around in different directions, Haughm's scruffy growls emerge, and never recede for the rest of the song, and it song gets heavier, adding to the already dark and creepy atmosphere. Later on there is a very sudden halt and a very calm bass solo in the middle of the song.

"Falling Snow" is the song the label released months before the album came out, and subsequently the one I listened to about fifty times in anticipation of the album. This song has much more of a rhythm and flowing structure to it, the main guitar themes are some of the most melodic and brilliant they've written. Several times the song breaks down into a clean, folk-like acoustic guitar melody for just two seconds or so, perfectly contrasting with the heaviness and fitting in with the direction and mood of the song. Vocals in this song are heavily alternated between growled and sung, usually with whispering overlaying the singing. I think the climactic point in this song, after the last two lines of vocals in this song and the instrumentals after it is probably the best part of the album.

"This White Mountain on Which You Will Die" is more of an intro or outro to a song rather than a song by itself. It is a one-and-a-half minute extremely ambient piece, unfortunately, without much substance. "The Misshapen Steed" and "The Lodge" blow this instrumental out of the ashes.

"Fire Above, Ice Below" is a rather slow-paced song, and not as heavy. The band experiments with singing and growling overdubbed, and long, winding instrumental passages. The song ends with the calming sound of waves, authentically recorded by Haughm on the coast of Washington.

"Not Unlike the Waves" begins with those same waves, morphing into a faster-paced, heavy song, with many harmonized/overdubbed vocals and some brief morsels of folk-like acoustic melodies thrown in the beginning.

"Our Fortress is Burning..." part I starts off with a sparse piano, slowly forming into a pretty nice instrumental. Part II starts off with the same general sound, expanding upon it, and eventually introducing vocals.

Part III is a very interesting "experimental noise" type piece from the band, only hinted around on "The Gray" EP a little bit prior to this. It contains distorted, distant guitars and swirling resonance, evoking a modern, urban, chaotic, almost apocalyptic type of feeling, something completely different from any vibe I have got from the band. Most people call this song a "waste" or "worthless" but I highly disagree and honestly, I like this instrumental better than the other two on this album and it probably evokes the most images in your mind of any other song. I pretty much saw something like this coming because the band has stated that they will explore more of their influences... further preventing possible classifications for their music. This song reminds me a lot of Godspeed You Black Emperor's album, "F#a#Infinity" because of the apocalyptic feel and "non-musical" sort of structure, except not so calm.

I would have to say this album is not quite better than the previous two full-lengths, however, that is understandable because those are so good I wouldn't really expect the band to ever surpass them. The band says it's their most "focused," but bands almost always say they are most proud of their newest work. I still believe "The Mantle" is their most accomplished and distinctive work. Specifically, all the instrumentals on "The Mantle" evoke so much more of a landscape like snowy, wintry, log cabin type of feeling, and are so much better than the instrumentals on this album (although Fortress III comes close), and this album has much less folk influences which made the previous two albums so unique.

They have set their standards so high they can't even reach them anymore. But that is not to say this album is disappointing, in the least. It is FAR from disappointing, and I have been waiting four long years for more material, other than a few EP's. It was worth the wait.

Many people also seem to not like the new drummer, Chris Greene, (previously just the live drummer) as much as Haughm doing the drums. Haughm still does them on "Falling Snow" and "Not Unlike the Waves." Greene's drumming seems a tad less imaginative, but I don't think it hurts the album much.

Although more of a personal note, I would also like to mention Agalloch has now surpassed Opeth as my favorite band. Opeth is still interesting, has amazing melodies, great ideas, progressions, and is unlimitedly interesting, but Agalloch, they have all these things and more. They convey so much feeling and emotion; words cannot describe it well enough. My appreciation for Opeth has not decreased, I have simply realized with the intense anticipation for this album and then finally hearing it, that I simply enjoy Agalloch above any other band. I am not comparing the two, but Opeth just happens to be my previous favorite band.

I feel like I have "grown" with Agalloch much more because when I first discovered them, it was before "The Mantle" even came out, and they were much more obscure. "Pale Folklore" totally floored me and changed the way I look at and think about music. I don't think I was ever excited about getting an album more than "The Mantle." I remember The End Records did this little album-listening event where you sit in a chat room with many other fans, and they played the entire album, like a month before it came out. I admire how the band members visit the label's forums and regularly interact with the fans, usually answering questions and such. A band isn't quite expected to do that. In some ironic sense, they care about their fans much more than most bands do, but at the same time they don't care about their fans because they do what's in their hearts and minds when arranging and executing their music. They will not conform to other people's opinions, regulations, limitations or commercialization. If they disappoint fans they don't care. But that isn't a selfish behaviour, it is the behaivour of true artists; artists who pour their soul into their art. And that's who Agalloch are.

It has been a few years since Agalloch released "The Mantle". And I was very excited when I heard about this release. Just when everyone was expecting another pagan folk metal release similar to "The Mantle", this new album is a surprise. "Ashes Against the Grain" has a much greater "black metal" sensibility about it; fewer acoustic passages, and yet loses
none of the intellectual intensity that this band is famous for.

I have seen many references to Opeth in other reviews of this band. I personally feel however, that if I were to compare this album to anyone, I would have to say that there are more similar to early Ulver. A particular example is "Bergtatt", Ulver's monumental first album, where the melancholic intensity was presented with epic leads and ambient droning rhythm guitars. To my mind, this album in particular shares many attributes found in that black metal stalwart, just slowed down a bit, and presented in more of a "doom" format. No one could call either album all that technical, or particularly complex. Not a problem, since the songwriting here is so solid, and the musical themes are so well constructed. Since I consider "Bergtatt" one of the greatest metal albums ever, I am hoping that the members of Agalloch will not mind the comparison.

The production is lovely, with all instruments and vocals blended but not muddy in the least. The vocals are a mix of clean and a unique black metal style that is somewhere between a rasp and a whisper. The instrumentation incorporates majestic doom, but with stunning melodic lead guitar passages that sail over mid paced ambient rhythm.

The melodic nature of this album makes it a prime candidate for initiating the non-metal music fan into the "black" and "doom" styles. Every song has something that could be defined as catchy and accessible, with perhaps the exception of the one short ambient track and the "noise" track at the end. The recent trend toward including "noise" tracks on metal albums has become a little bit overused lately, but at least the one on this album is fairly well done and not overly long.

This band evokes an overall feeling of sorrow that is quite appropriate to the rainy and grey climate that is the northwestern U.S. Forget the coffee however, there is not a blast beat to be found anywhere. Despite the slower pace of the songs, this album seems to be over way to soon, and I always find myself running through it twice in a sitting. This band just continues to improve with every release, and this album is my favorite from them so far.

The difference between your average Black Metal band and Agalloch is like the difference between the populist fiction of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and a literary classic like Dante's "Inferno". Other bands write songs. Agalloch compose symphonies in miniature. Agalloch's third full length album `Ashes Against The Grain' meshes Metal seamlessly with Classical instrumentation, Ambient vistas, and powerful dynamics.

Despite the complexity of the songs and the multi-faceted influences, this is still undoubtedly a Metal album. "Limbs" begins with an alternative Rock-sounding intro leading into a Gothic acoustic section, with electric guitars playing like a distant echo, and builds to a Doom crescendo. Then John Haughm opens his mouth and unleashes an abrasive vocal tirade, and without the listener realising it, the song has become distinctly Black Metal in character. Suddenly it breaks into disconsolate acoustics, and then the dread-laden music returns.

Second track "Falling Snow" throws in a livelier, almost hopeful riff, to contrast the previous song. It has less of the complexity, instead relying on a forcible beat, powered by driving double kick drums and a cascade of cymbals. Haughm also introduces vocal contrast, with a second voice of monastic clarity. This definitely isn't music for anyone wanting a simple three-minute blast of high tempo Metal. Only the ambient "This White Mountain On Which You Will Die" clocks under five minutes, and several tracks approach in excess of double that. There is also an elemental, natural theme running through the album, interwoven with martial motifs.

"Our Fortress Is Burning..." forms an epic trilogy to close the album. The eponymous title track here seems like a gentle instrumental, but has some tormented effects playing behind the main melody. "Bloodbirds" continues with a dreamy air to it, and eventually hits a multi-layered guitar overdrive. Huge slabs of distortion and guitar effects grate together like tectonic plates on "The Grain", eventually grinding down to nothingness and fading into the ether.

This is an album to play to non-Metal fans who think Metal is all noise, and non-Black Metal Metal fans who love to mock badgers in bullet belts. The music is not entirely in your face, instead swelling from humble beginnings, but scales some unexpected extremes. Only the cuts and contrasts allow you to realise how far from the beginning Agalloch has taken you. Anyone undertaking the journey of this album will feel more than fulfilled.

This is the only album I have heard from this band. Having listened to brutal metal my whole life I have been excited to recently discover many bands that are not so brutal and add beauty to the genre. This album just sounds amazing. You can close your eyes and be taken away. If anyone knows other albums by other bands that I would like based on my love for this, let me know please.