Sacrament

White Willow | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 15, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 24, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Laser's Edge
• ASIN: B00004UEGY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,568 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prog for non-proggers (as well), December 19, 2000

By 

Rudy D'Anna (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacrament (Audio CD)

What an album! After having completely lost faith in this creaky old genre, along comes a record that shines with the same brilliance as the true classics, be they Genesis, Yes or King Crimson. But best of all: This sounds modern, and it is darn accessible, too! So much so that this is the album to give to anti-prog friends to convince them of the error of their ways. Which is not to say it isn't complex: I still haven't figured out the time signatures of the Tull-meets-Ozrics like track "The Crucible". And the playing is top-notch, in a way that makes you forget how intricate the music really is. More than anything, though, it is the melodies that stand out, and help make this an accessible and downright catchy prog album. A track like "Paper Moon" would have been an FM rock favorite had it been released in the 70's, with it's mellow groove and melancholy melody and a refrain that is impossible to get out of your head. But again there is a modern twist, with ambient synth backdrops and a laser sharp production. The production is great on the entire album, incidentally. Bass heavy at the bottom and all glossy and sweet on the top... The material ranges from pure folk ("The Last Rose of Summer") via symphonic rock ("Anamnesis") to heavier dark prog-fusion ("The Reach") and throughout all of the songs you are treated to Sylvia Erichsens divine voice, the virtuoso, classicaly influenced flute playing of Ketil Eniarsen and the melodic, emotive guitar of Jacob Holm-Lupo, as well as 1st class performances from all the other players. Warmly recommended!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare beauty, February 12, 2002

By 

"j_malligan" (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacrament (Audio CD)

This quote from a review from Satan Stole My Teddybear says it all:

"This disc finally realizes the potential of White Willow. Building on the hauntingly beautiful ambient sound of the previous two albums, the band decides to flesh out the sound with a bit more punch. The result is some of the best gothic influenced ambient progressive rock you'll ever hear.

Everything is pushed further than on the previous albums. The range of musical expressiveness is broadened. The vocals run from beautiful to aggressive. The folk and medieval influences are brought more sharply into focus. The skill of the musicians really comes out in the variety and intricacy of the songs. This is White Willow at their collective best, moving with unity and purpose toward a common musical and picturesque goal. outstanding on this disc are the instrumental track, "The Crucible", and two hauntingly beautiful tracks, "Paper Moon" and "Gnostalgia".

The production on this disc is the finest I've ever heard. The bass guitar can be heard at ranges well below those you'd normally pick up on a CD. The disc comes with a warning printed on the back: "WARNING: The extreme dynamic range of White Willow's music will test the limits of your sound system. Please listen with extreme caution." Much of this warning stems from the brilliant production job done on the disc. Some of it comes from the sudden and unexpected explosions from the quiet and delicate into the much heavier and more aggressive style that is scattered throughout the songs, giving the disc some really intense moments. The clarity of the sound is stellar. Ken Golden of The Laser's Edge is to be congratulated for what may be his best work yet.

The musical ambience on this disc is wonderful. The songs move and flow one into the next with such a seamless fit that it may take more than one listen to find the actual moments of division between tracks. The changes of tempo and direction that are the meat and potatoes of any progressive album are richly embedded into each track. The influences of Jethro Tull and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and Focus can be seen in some of the instrumental moments. If you liked either of White Willow's previous albums, you will really like this one. This is symphonic, ambient progressive rock in top form. If you are looking for a wonderfully produced, well balanced album of truly different music, I highly recommend you look this one up for yourself."

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most enchantingly beautiful music i've ever heard, May 1, 2002

By 

Michael Smith (Calgary, AB, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacrament (Audio CD)

wow... i bought this on reccomendation from a friend when i told him i was looking for some really moving music. I can say that this really delivers! I was expecting something a bit more melancholy, but the fact that it is, for the most part, a HAPPY kind of beautiful is something VERY welcomed by these ears. After years of abuse from the beauty of darker bands such as Opeth, Anathema, and Katatonia (which i THOROUGHLY enjoyed and still do) this change of pace is almost a music revelation for me. Mikael Akerfieldt of Opeth once said "Happy music has no soul, will never touch the soul like darkness can"... Well i totally agreed until i heard this! Now i may be a bit misleading here... this music isn't all roses and kisses and such, it definitely has a dark touch to it, but it isn't exactly doomy either. It has most likeness to the band Anglagard only with an AMAZING female singer and a whole lot more passion in the music... now Anglagard is a damn amazing band but even those mighty musicians don't stand up to one of my new favorite bands, White Willow. If you AT ALL love prog rock fueled with emotive lyrics and passionate melodies you MUST do yourself a favor and buy this disc! I have not since my first Dream Theater or Opeth purchase been so satisfied, and that is saying A LOT since i am a music FANATIC... i mean literally i think i should be on some kind of medication to stop this it is taking over my life heheh... ANYWAY back to topic just BUY it, if you hate it email me and i will buy it off of you. I could always use an extra copy.