Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays [Import]

Empyrium | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 20, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Prophecy Germany
• ASIN: B00005MB0V
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,036 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Dark, very good!, August 14, 2004

By 

Garrett Beneker "In hope we trust our fate. I... (Cali, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays (Audio CD)

No band has ever captured Empyrium's darkness and mellow songs and for a good reason. It is very hard to recreate their sound. Eriee in most places, subtle in some songs more noticeable in others. The Shepard and the Maiden Ghost has to be the best song on this album. Track 1 (Where At Night the Wood Grouse Plays) has the best mix of sadness and one simple chorus put in the first two minutes of the song. They have excellent skills in playing these instruments apparent when you listen to some of their instrumental only songs. Fans of almost any type of black metal, be it be Cradle of Filth all the way to Green Carnation. Empyrium is not to be missed. If you like Empyrium and want a similar type of band I suggest Agalloch or Estatic Fear. A few others would be Ulver, Katatonia, Green Carnation, Eisregan.

33 minutes long, High Quality CD, Stero.
Tracks:
1. Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays
2. Dying Brokenhearted
3. The Shepherd And The Maiden Ghost
4. The Sad Song Of The Wind
5. Wehmut
6. A Pastoral Theme
7. Abendrot
8. Many Moons Ago...
9. When Shadows Grow Longer '99

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, though not quite perfect., December 1, 2003

By 

Mr. Jonathan Ledbury - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays (Audio CD)

This is a melodic acoustic neo folk masterpiece. Give it a spin and you'll find yourself in a dark, misty German forest at night, encountering ghosts and dark, natural forces. It creates a wonderful atmosphere that encapsulates the listener, without being too intense. Infact it's simple melodies are rather calming and soothing, even though slightly chilling.
It uses an acoustic guitar, flute, and choir. (The choir creates a ghostly, other worldly atmosphere at times, particularly at the end of the third track.)
Over the top, the vocals are performed sometimes singing and sometimes whispering, creating an amazing, eerie effect. However, some of the tracks are only intrumentals.
The album does have it's flaws. For one thing it's only 32 minutes long, and for another, the vocals (which are in english in this album) when sung, are performed in a solemn, German style which is almost funny at first. In the last song the backing vocals are a little amusing, and threaten to ruin the entire song which annoys me. Track 5 repeats the same riff a little more than my patience can bear, and I also feel that the C.D loses a little bit of its atmosphere with the final two songs, although, it would still be well worth the purchase even without these songs.
My favorite song is the shepard and the maiden which uses a simple, repetative, fast moving riff, with a heart breaking ghost story whispered over the top. It ends with some stunning choir vocals.
Other highlights include the first two songs (The second song is basically an instrumental apart from a few moments of almost muted whispering) as well as tracks 6 and 7 which are stunning instrumental pieces.
This ought to appeal to lovers of all meloncholic rock music. Fans of music geniuses from opeth to Nick Drake, and as far mainstream as REM ought to find something they like in this this.
It's something gentle, dark, and a little bit different. Definately worth a try! Go on go on go on go on....

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 17, 2011

By 

JOSEPH W KIDD (OCEANSIDE, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays (MP3 Download)

This is one of my favorite albums. It is third in Empyrium's progression from black folk to classical. This album is exclusively dark folk. No black metal at all, just woodsy goodness. The album picks up where songs of moors left off, leaving behind the black metal roots for acoustic passages, classical arrangements, and folk style execution.

As with most Empyrium albums, the vocals are almost unbearably bad, but since the album doesn't try to go out of the folk scene and vocals are very sparse and subdued, they actually work. This is one of my favorite background albums when I'm painting as it has a soothing if slightly melancholic feel throughout. Again, the vocals aren't for everyone. They are very "German," if that makes any sense. Very masculine. Not quite as overwhelming as their other offerings, and again, sparingly used.

Despite that one downfall of Empyrium, this is still a 5-star offering. Most of their works are, really, and each one is entirely different from the next (even though the first two have similarities). It is one of those things where the composition and arrangements are so complex and masterful that the minutiae of execution become almost irrelevant.