Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly Good, September 11, 2004
This is one of the best folk CDs I've discovered in a while. I discovered it very suddenly at metal forums when people mentioned it is a folk project by an ex-Saturnus member (even though I've never really heard Saturnus), so I just bought it on an impulse. It reminds me a little of Death in June because of the very laid-back vocals, calm rhythmic strumming, other sounds and instruments thrown in, and a few experimental ambient songs.
The first song "Lost in Emptiness" is one of the best. It starts off with a very ambient, creepy sound but suddenly the acoustic strumming begins, it's a quite simple song really, the melodies are just so perfect. "My Devotion Will Never Fade" contains some organs and interesting percussion. "In a Robe of Fire" is completely different and contains soft melancholic violins underneath similar sounding singing. "Algir Naudir Wunjo" is a long, creepy, very atmospheric song containing very low-pitched melodies of some sort, a constant, mysterious tribal rhythm, and threatening voices and whispers that can't really be understood. It sounds like it should be music for a level in Doom or something. It seems out of place but it is really good, although very different from the short, simple folk songs. If you're a fan of Raison D'etre you might like this side of the album.
"Silver Rain" is back to the folk style, this one freakishly similar to something on "But What Ends When Symbols Shatter?" I really don't know if Death in June is an influence or not but it sure sounds like it. This has slow-paced strumming with a certain keyboard or synth sound in the background. "Gal Anda" is the best song; it is a feast for your ears. The strumming is faster paced, and there are organs in the background and some percussion. Near the middle of the song, the acoustic guitar disappears for a minute leaving just vocals, organs and quiet percussion, only to return to what the first part sounded like with the addition of a flute! I'd buy this album if it was just the last minute and 25 seconds of this song. The whole thing has such mixed feelings of mellowness yet urgency, if that makes any sense whatsoever. There are 3 more songs, 1 folk and 2 atmospheric, but this is getting too long.
If you're reading this, you should probably buy this album. If you found this review, chances are you like either metal and are interested in folk, or you like similar folk. Either that or you like other music I've reviewed that has nothing to do with this, or you know me and don't like anything I do and are just admiring my writing skills. Anyway, I bought it very suddenly because so many people suggested it in a discussion about folk and I was so pleasantly surprised that I bought their other two albums within about two weeks.
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