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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prog for non-proggers (as well), December 19, 2000
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!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not amazing, August 1, 2002
I'd agree with previous reviewers that White Willow has a pleasantly melodic sound. The singer reminds me more of one of those alternative "waif" singers, like the singer for Velocity Girl than Annie Haslam of Renaissance. Which is to say that her voice doesn't have the soul and depth of Annie's voice. I guess I'm mainly disappointed that there was nothing too challenging here. The (..) review mentions heavy metal, goth, and prog influences. Aside from a few grungy power chords, there isn't much metal. On one of the early numbers they go through a very generic prog instrumental workout, nothing Gentle Giant, say, couldn't have done in their sleep. And as far as goth goes, they don't really take you into any dark and mysterious realms. I lost patience with it when, on the last track, the singer goes into this mad Ophelia bit, melodramatically chanting nursery rhymes. How corny! Anyway, didn't Genesis do something like that on Nursery Cryme? Overall, I think that they play things too safe, and lack in imagination, being content to be a rather faint echo of their influences. What's more, nothing resonates on an emotional level. I'd recommend Dead Can Dance instead of this to anyone interested in darkly mysterious melodic music with strong female vocals.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A rare beauty, February 12, 2002
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."
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