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City: Michigan & Oregon
Country: US
Signup Date: 1/22/2006
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
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Teeth of the Divine (Jordan Itkowitz)
Fans
of depressive, atmospheric black metal have a lot to be happy about in
2009. So far we’ve seen fantastic releases from all the greats - Blut Aus Nord, Drudkh, Wolves in the Throne Room, as well as shoegaze/black metal newcomers like Fen, Altar of Plagues and Svarti Loghin.
And now here comes this stunning disc from the UK’s Wodensthrone
(notably featuring a former member of fellow UK pagan black metal act Winterfylleth),
which is not only some of most enthralling black metal I’ve heard all
year, but one of the best debut LPs I’ve heard in years.
This
is true pagan black metal, alternately pensive and savage, with a core
of longing that runs through their sound like ancient bone beneath
earth, clay and ash. Steady drumming and warm, distorted guitars fill
out the nine lengthy tracks, with Brunwulf’s frayed croak echoing
overhead. And the entire experience is shadowed by tasteful, subtle
synthwork, which colors each melody with lush, organic melancholy. Add
in occasional clean chants, acoustic strumming, and delicate, haunting
woodwinds, and it’s a flawless example of how the genre should sound.
And if that’s not convincing enough, the band also recorded the album
at Negura Studios in Romania, after appearing with Negura Bunget and
Fen in 2007.
Loss is a
massive, enveloping experience (over an hour long), patterned with
light and shadow and shifting moods. Where “Leodum On Lande” is a
soothing, twilight dirge, “Heiofungtid” is a rousing midday gallop -
the perfect blend of Moonsorrow’s thunderous heroics and Drudkh’s
autumnal panoramas. You can practically hear the hoofbeats drumming
across the plains, the spatter of mud, and the ragged caw of the crows
as they take flight from skeletal branches.
The
middle of the album is dominated by three monstrous, perfectly titled
epics. “Those That Crush the Roots of Blood” furiously condemns the
forces - religious, political and historical - that wiped away
England’s ancient cultural heritage. It’s followed by “Black Moss,” the
blackest, strangest and most martial moment on the entire disc. And
“Upon These Stones” takes a more wistful look back at the isles’ lost
ages, with a striking midsection woven from strands of Middle Eastern
melody and misty psychedelia. Then, after the hypnotic, instrumental
pomp and folk of “Pillar of the Sun,” Loss comes to a moving, solemn
close with “That Which is Now Forgotten - 597.” The last few moments of
that track, with a melody that suddenly shifts from loss to hope, are
simply breathtaking. If you can find the proper setting in which to get
lost in the album’s vast musical landscape - a long, solitary walk
outdoors is best - I highly suggest you do so.
Although
Wodensthrone is relatively new to the scene (they’ve released a couple
of splits prior to this), I can confidently say that Loss is a better
and richer experience than some of the albums released this year by
more seasoned acts. It’s better than Wolves in the Throne Room’s Black
Cascade. Better than Drudkh’s Microcosmos. It doesn’t top Blut Aus
Nord’s Memoria Vetusta II (not only my favorite black metal album of
the year, but probably the decade), but it certainly belongs in the
same elevated sphere. Look for this near the top of my year-end list -
and if you’re any fan of the genre, it’ll likely be on yours as well.
Simply magnificent.
Metalreview.com (Zach Duvall)
Hype sure can be a bitch. Give that hype to a black metal release, and
the band in question has to deliver, lest metal’s most fickle fans
permanently label the band as overrated and overhyped. England’s
Wodensthrone have accumulated a fair amount of buzz before ever
releasing an album, due in part to having amongst their ranks a former
member of fellow countrymen Winterfylleth, but mostly because they were
taken under the wing of Negura Bunget, who brought them to Romania to
record debut record Loss at their studio. Already under a much larger
looking glass than they were likely comfortable with, the band had no
choice but to deliver.
And boy do they deliver.
On Loss, Wodensthrone weave together eight tracks (at nearly 70
minutes) of bombastic, progressive, and sometimes even trance-like
black metal which pulls in influences from the entire reach of all
things epic and folk-influenced. They share a bit of Wolves in the
Throne Room’s compositional style, Drudkh’s obsessive-yet-unpretentious
attention to detail, Weakling’s aggression, Blut Aus Nord’s appropriate
use of keyboards, and Negura Bunget’s love of folk instrumentation.
Although the influences are obvious, Wodensthrone melds them into their
own vision with a sense of songcraft rarely heard in such a young band.
Throughout the album, Wodensthrone use many of black metal’s tried and
true weapons to forge songs of a captivating quality. After a typical
(but effective) intro, “Leódum On Lande” balances blasts with a
standard “True Norwegian” hypnotic drive, using keyboards in a manner
which stops short of the symphonic marker. “Heófungtid” then adds to
this formula with some of the album’s many fine tremolo passages. The
WITTRish “Those That Crush the Roots of Blood” continues with an
understated melodic sorrow, hinting at later sections of the album.
As great as Loss begins, the second half is what raises its stock from
merely very good to being one of the best black metal albums in recent
memory. Flying right out of the previous track, “Black Moss” is a
complex epic which features some of the album’s most memorable riffs,
shows off the drumming of the extremely capable Hréowsian, and becomes
more interesting at every twist and turn despite lasting well over 12
minutes. “Upon These Stones” follows with a high enough caliber to not
seem paltry in comparison. With softer folk sections revealing the
Negura Bunget influence and an extremely well-placed major key outro,
it flows perfectly into the folk instrumental “Pillar of the Sun”,
itself transitioning into the breathtaking “That Which is Now
Forgotten-597”. This final piece is the album’s most atmospheric and
haunting, teasing the aggression of earlier tracks, but ultimately
closing the album with an eerie but very satisfying sense of finality.
Perhaps the greatest virtue of Loss is its replay value. Although quite
enjoyable upon first listen, only after several spins does the growing
intensity of the album (and each song individually) truly become
apparent, providing the greatest rewards to listeners with the patience
to let the album sink its teeth. This may scare away more
attention-deficit fans, but Wodensthrone don’t expect to appeal to
everyone, as shown by the album’s limited initial release.
Wodensthrone may be showing up late to the party, but instead of
quietly sneaking in, they’re making a grandiose entrance. Loss is an
absolute stunner which lives up to its moderate hype and more, while
simultaneously introducing another major player to a thriving and
multinational scene. If you are distraught by the recent tremors in the
Negura Bunget camp, or upset that the good-not-great Black Cascade
revealed Wolves in the Throne Room to be mere mortal men, Wodensthrone
will stay your tears. Loss is a fantastic entry in what is currently
the most fruitful and artistic sub-section of black metal. Very highly
recommended. 9.2/10
Metal Flows in my Veins
The band name, album title, and cover artwork pretty much give this one
away as a form of pagan/ folk metal before the first track is even
played. Sure enough, that’s exactly what you get with “Loss”, the debut
full-length from Wodensthrone on Bindrune Recordings, a label loaded
with quality pagan/ folk acts and borderline black metal bands with
ecological themes.
Hailing from northern England and using a dark, pagan heritage as a
choice of muse, Wodensthrone are a five piece playing upon a muted
black metal base, but add loads of traditional instruments, melodies,
and themes. All of this is done without becoming saccharine or
overbearing (there’s no “bounce” here, as is the case with Korpiklaani
and similar acts), and the music comes across as a slightly darker
version of Moonsorrow.
For a debut, “Loss” is a very mature work with stellar musicianship, an
excellent amount of variety to the music, and a clean, yet muted,
production (members of Negura Bunget are involved). Alternating between
moments of brute force and softer melodies, “Loss” incorporates
traditional instruments in the form of flute, a Jew’s harp, and some
mild keyboard work. Add fantastic, moody songwriting with an epic feel,
and rasped vocals that, to these ears, sound just like Blake Judd, and
you have an album in “Loss” that is an excellent example of the pagan/
folk genre. I did find the album to be subtle, however, probably due to
its muted quality, and I needed a few listens to really get involved.
Once I was able to do so, though, “Loss” is a pagan/ folk masterpiece
with dark tones.
“Loss” is an excellent release that deserves your full attention. Highly recommended.
Sea of Tranquility (Denis Brunelle)
Nature scenery on the cover of a promo coming from Blindrume
Recordings= a promise of good underground music. As always, this label
has released a cool opus of great darkness. The band from Scotland made
friends with Romania's own Negura Bundget. This friendship led to an
offer from this kvlt act to use their studio. After two weeks of hard
work, Wodensthrone's debut album, Loss, was born.
Two
guitar players and a keyboardist are amongst the members contributing
in creating a quite elaborate sonic structure. Loss is a sixty minutes
plus opus of epic Pagan Black Metal. Some compositions last over ten
minutes, allowing a deeper development of their Pagan ideology. The
keyboard patterns really add an atmospheric edge to their sound and
possess a certain orchestral touch. The distorted guitars are not
overwhelming, thus allowing more delicate work to develop; may it be in
the shape of arpeggios, clean leads, not to forget the rare, but folksy
present acoustic passages. The sickly good rasps carry a certain
ghostly feel, which brings a touch of eerie. The vocals are not
constantly present, so many musical breaks, sometimes quite lengthy,
are luring the listener into deeper woods, so to speak.
Nothing
but great music on Loss, full of high quality compositions like: "
Fyrgenstream", "Léodum on Lade" and the long lasting epic pleasure
called: "Black Moss". My folksy heart fell for the folkish
instrumental, filled with acoustic guitars, "Pillar of the Sun".
Lords of Metal (Roel de Haan)
Slowly but inevitably England too is showing that black metal is made
all over the world. Wodensthrone is a fairly new group that plays
heathen black metal on their debut album ‘Loss’ It is quickly obvious
that Wodensthrone doesn’t compete for the originality award but that
doesn’t have to mean this is bad either.
On the contrary, the music of ‘Loss’ is actually quite enjoyable. They
know how to write fluid songs that are sufficiently interesting even
though the album is somewhat overlong. Sometimes it reminds me of
Primordial, in the synths department Negur„ Bunget comes to mind and
also the omnipresent Wolves In The Throne Room has made its mark.
Everything considered is ‘Loss’ a rewarding album of very atmospheric
black metal.
Zero Tolerance (Nathan Birk)
Proof
#2 That UKBM Might Not Suck Balls After All (find #1 elsewhere in this
section): Wodensthrone and their hotly tipped Loss debut. Beginning
with an intro that positively screams ‘excitement’ – or, at the very
least, ‘sweet shit is about to happen’ – Wodensthrone soon kick into
gear with skyscraping, daresay sensual black metal that intermittently
recalls glory-days Emperor, Eld / Blodhemn-era Enslaved, or any era of
Negura Bunget (take your pick: all quality), with tasteful and subtly
mixed synths recalling Graveland and ably adding to the sense of cosmic
wonder, but one that’s solemn and severe all the same. These lads
aren’t afraid of the epic, either, with the average track around nine
minutes in length, but they seemingly halve that with deft shifts in
tempo but never forgetting the core, linear hook of each song. From
there, you just lay back and fly; Wodensthrone will take you there. At
eight songs in nearly 70 minutes, you feel exhausted and yet strangely
empowered, eager to repeat the journey again, and again, and again.
Transcendental on nearly every level: Loss mandatory beyond belief.
nathan t. birk 5.5 [out of 6]
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/ (Crysis)
I first listened to Loss on a rather uneventful, boring three hour journey up Interstate 95 in ....Maine.....
For any of you who have driven the road before, it is not something
which is especially interesting, just mile after mile of birch and
pines lining the road for as far as your imagination can perceive. In
hopes of cutting my trance-like state of mind, I decided to put on a
recent acquisition of mine, give it a few spins, and hopefully give it
a thoughtful criticis..m s..o I could sit
here and write this review for all of you guys to read. This recent
finding was British black metal band Wodensthrone first full-length LP
entitled Loss. For the remainder of the drive, I was thrust back into
this trance-like state, and before I knew what the hell had happened I
was pulling off the highway and Loss had just ended its third spin in
my deck.
My thoughts of a thorough and non-biased
critique were basically shot, but my thoughts of the album persisted
for many hours thereafter. Later that evening, I sat down again to give
this the real listen it deserved, and discovered that my opinions about
the album had basically been left unchanged. Through the hour and ten
minute album, the likes of atmospheric black metal and folk melt
together in an almost eerie way. Think of the black metal along the
same lines as Wolves In The Throne Room with a synth. Contrary to what
you may think, it turns out that, while the guitar riffs are
deceivingly familiar, the atmosphere is something else entirely. The
production is low-fi enough to get the whole black metal stereotypes
out of the way but quality enough in terms of its mixing and mastering
that you get the whole picture without having to rewind to hear a
specific lyric or riff.
Keyboards accompany virtually every guitar riff on the album, but not
in that insulting Dimmu Borgir kind of way where it ruins anything and
everything the band writes. They are produced to be in the background
almost always, and consist of ringing chords which change frequently
enough to be fresh but not so often it becomes a nuisance. Along with
the keys come a very intelligent mix of folk interludes and influences
which bring up an air of Drudkh in their music. Take, for example, the
instrumental track “Pillar Of The Sun”. Flutes, guitars, drums, even a
Jew’s harp work together wonderfully to get a non-pretentious and
undoubtedly enjoyable piece of instrumental folk with a healthy portion
of metal thrown in to let you know that this is indeed the same band,
not some jarring turn away from the black metal in order to get in an
out-of-place folk instrumental.
Don’t let all this talk of folk fool you though; the black metal can be
downright vicious at times, and actually can be described as such
during a vast majority of the album. Songs like “Black Moss” bring in
harsher vocal variances, while incorporating some crushing chords
during a few of the riffs, along with a helping of double bass. This
isn’t to say that melody isn’t present either, because a good handful
of the riffs contain just that. Accompanied with the extremely solid
vocal performance, this can add up to quite a few moments which flirt
with being l..abel..ed
as epic. For instance, during the latter half of “Those That Crush The
Roots Of Blood”, the members of Wodensthrone mingle around with melodic
riffs and acoustic guitars for a while before the attention is turned
back to the blast beats and other, more raw black metal fare.
As a whole piece, Loss is an enthralling listen which I seemingly
cannot get out of my head. It came out of nowhere, a pattern which
seems to be defining the year 2009 for black metal as a genre. Many of
the best albums of the year thus far have come fro..m s..ome
unknown black metal acts, and I can safely place Wodensthrone’s Loss in
the top three albums of the year. It is a musical experience which
really gives off a hint of hope that all really isn’t lost with black
metal, and that some people out there are willing to do it seriously
and do it right. It just takes a bit of hunting, but these musicians
are out there to show off what they can do, and with Loss, these five
musicians have shown that all you need is imagination and a hint of
inspiration to pull off something great in a genre so stagnant as black
metal.
http://www.hellbound.ca/ (Laina Dawes)
Despite only releasing a number of splits, the debut album from
Wodensthrone is incredibly lush, haunting and in some ways, quite
‘delicate’ for what is considered ‘true’ pagan black metal. I’m not
gonna even front with y’all – I can’t put my finger on it – the reason
why I say that is that on Loss, there is a distinctive effort for
authenticity – providing some kind of meaning outside of just putting
together a full-length, sub-standard depressing collection of tracks.
I will assume that because the band is from ..Northern England.. and choose to tell the stories of “....Britain....’s
darker Pagan antiquity,” discussions about the differences from other
European black metal bands might arise. The use of texture on “Leodum
on Lande” is quite a jolt – not because of the sudden tempo change from
the opener, but the introduction of the vocalist, Brunwulf (who sounds
like he is puking hot gravel) is a bit difficult to swallow at first,
but after a couple of listens I think I get it.
There
is beauty and there is this lurking evil. But I can safely say that
because there was a concerted effort into the production of this album
– “Fyrgenstréam” is one of the best, yet simple instrumental
introductions to an album I have enjoyed in some time, and while the I
assume that the band is purposefully creating a juxtaposition between
the melodic and the brutal, the emphasis is placed on providing the
listener with a ‘landscape’ as to what the band perceives is a suitable
narrative to tell their story. Rich symphonic keyboards, a bit too much
electro-riffage and the liberal use of the high-hat (a bit too much)
begs for interpretation after one listen, but this album deserves a
few. 7.5
http://www.cerebralmetalhead.com
Back
in the late 7th century AD, Wodensthrone's hometown of Sunderland,
England became a major center of learning in Anglo-Saxon England, home
to the 300-volume Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery and its famous
monk-historian Bede. Just last year, ..Sunderland.. was named the best-connected city in Britain. Not much has changed in 1300 years, eh? While modern Mackems
should rightly be proud of their continued tradition of access to
knowledge (a tradition tied to the advent of Christianity),
Wodensthrone extol the virtues of pre-Christianized England -- a time
no less bloody than the centuries that followed, but also a one during
which heathen civilizations, immigrated from what is now Germany and
Scandinavia, lived in concert with the land and defended their
divergent bloodlines.
The
title of Wodensthrone's debut long-player (and at nearly 70 minutes, it
is truly a long-player) is crystal clear: these boys pine for ....Britain....'s
pagan antiquity. Their lyrics speak of ancient battles and fallen
ancestors, invoke pagan gods and insult invading ones ("Children of the
crescent moon / Your desert god is silent here...And 'pon these rocks
which aeons stood / Are carved the names of forgotten gods: Tiw!
Thunor! Woden!"). In their complete slack-jawed seriousness, these guys
are the anti-Korpiklaani. Even if these tunes aren't proper for
ale-swinging, and your own sense of nostalgia runs more towards mommy's
home-cooking than Northumbrian history, you gotta admire Wodensthrone's
commitment to their themes.
Musically
speaking, Loss has nearly everything one could ask of a pagan black
metal release. Battle-ready blasts and keyboard beds summon the pagan
vastlands, galloped over by tremolo guitars in fully tonal flurries.
Frontman Brunwulf sounds more like he's cawing from atop a ..Sunderland.. tree than shrieking like a ring-wraith fro..m s..omeone else's mythology. Like fellow pagan black metal artisans Moonsorrow and Wolves In the Throne Room (interviewed here),
spiritual and artistic cousins to Wodensthrone both, Loss revels in the
epic and the tonal. Admittedly, oscillating two-chord harmonies don't
hold up by themselves over ten-minute expanses -- "Black Moss," with
its occasional tritone-ridden darkness, deeper growls and breaks into
non-black riff territory, is the only track that really bristles with
tension. Smartly, Wodensthrone take up the slack of their pretty
humdrum harmonic landscape by keeping the texture dynamic. Keyboards
drop out, flutes and acoustic guitars pop in during restful moments;
Jew's harp and dulcimers join in for the instrumental "Pillar of the
Sun." Harmony vocals and Celtic drumbeats supplant the harshness and
automated blasts every now and again to enhance the drama.
Recorded in ....Romania.... by two members of Negura Bunget,
Loss sounds warm and huge, but not oppressively so. The effect is one
of glory that's veiled but still apparent. It's a great complement to
Wodensthrone's nostalgic fondness for Old Albion.
Blistering.com (Darren Cowan)
[7.5/10] On their Bindrune Records debut, ....England....’s
Wodensthrone seeks to capture the magic and savagery of its Germanic
past. The band seeks inspiration from the style of black metal put
forth by early efforts of ....Norway....’s
true kings of black metal, incorporating the dramatic, rise-and-fall
rhythms and majestic keyboards of Emperor, the churning mid-tempo riffs
of Dimmu Borgir and Ancient and the folk elements of Ulver.
Loss also shows a band steeped in the Eastern European black metal
sound, which the group perfected with the help of Romanian avant-garde
artist, Negura Bunget at Negura studios in Translyvania. Although Loss
gives praise to the pagan history of its British heritage, the album
paints a picture of the fog-shrouded ..Carpathian Mountains...
As found on the defining black metal records of the early to mid
nineties, Woden’s Throne creates a distant production, especially in
the vocals. Buried deep in the mix, the vocals are both spooky and
undecipherable.
Much like any black metal band
playing with a “necro” production and distant, harsh vocals, Loss isn’t
a sing-along album. The vocals merely provide another layer of
atmosphere, which is the album’s main selling point. During the
traditional black metal segments of drums, bass, and guitar, some of
the tracks drag onward, though. However, tracks such as “Heófungtid”
and “Upon These Stones” begin with acoustic intros that provide variety
and give it that folk/pagan touch. The group completely overlooks the
black metal aspect during the five-minute-plus instrumental, “Pillar of
the Sun.” Here, Woden’s Throne group breaks out a multitude of ethnic
instruments including acoustic guitar played Flamenco style, flutes and
mouth harps.
With Loss, Woden’s Throne does not reinvent the wheel, they merely
recreate a classic sound, while putting their own personal touches upon
the album. Woden’s Throne inability to create something completely
original is a detriment to the band, but this album gets better and
better which each listen. Loss comes highly recommended to those
disappointed with the direction Scandinavian black metal went over the
past ten years
Metalteamuk.net (Frank Allain)
It has been a long time coming. Sunderland’s Wodensthrone have been
oft-touted as ‘ones to watch’ from the newest wave of English black
metal yet despite a handful of well-regarded splits and some ferocious
live performances, have taken their sweet time in delivering their
first full-length. The band’s dedication to this record cannot be
doubted – the six-piece actually took the time to fly out to deepest ....Romania....
to record at Negura Bunget’s home studio - and have clearly spent some
considerable time honing this 70-minute plus opus to perfection. They
certainly couldn't be accused of slacking in the three years since
their inception. So, after all this, has it been worth the wait? I can
tell you now that the answer is a most emphatic ‘yes’. And then some.
Wodensthrone
plough with vigour the pastoral, epic furrow of black metal so beloved
of the Eastern European devotees of the genre yet shoot this template
through with their very own brand of righteous fury and desperate
longing. The influences borne by the band are self-evident - Drudkh,
Negura Bunget and ‘Anthems’-era Emperor being clear reference points -
but it’s startling to hear the dexterity and confidence with which
these Englishmen synthesise such elements into a coherent soundscape.
The band aren’t setting out to reinvent the wheel here but what they
are trying to achieve is to sweep the listener up into the kind of
relentless, searing maelstrom unheard of since ‘In the Nightside
Eclipse’ – and they may very well have done that. ‘Loss’s tracks are
lengthy, winding, melodic and buoyed by rage and soaring dynamics.
'Frygenstream' draws us into a deceptively cal..m s..pell
of nature ambiences and synth washes, overseen by some commanding
utterences from vocalist Brunwulf before 'Leodum on Lande' explodes
into life, setting the tone for the next hour-plus.
Every
aspect of the sonic textures explored by Wodensthrone are spot-on -
Hreowsian's drums are relentless, pummelling behind the waves of melody
and providing much of the album's tangible aggression. The guitars of
Wildebro and Raeldwah switch effortlessly between the scything, Hate
Forest-inspired attack demonstrated in the opening few minutes of
'Black Moss' to the sorrow-laden reflection that bares out 'Upon These
Stones', airy keyboards breathing soaring melody into every passage.
Brunwulf's acidic yell is laced with sincerity and whilst his vocal
approach may lack the variety to fully sustain some of the longer
compositions, its palpable emotion is a key factor in ensuring that
'Loss' hits hard. Some might argue that Wodensthrone's refusal to mix
up the pace is a drawback (the vast majority of 'Loss' is a frenzied
blast or pounding 12/8 gallop) but to these ears, it further serves to
lend the release a hypnotic power, one that draws the listener into a
strident maelstrom of ancient pride. Closing track 'That Which is Now
Forgotten - 597' is a distinct change in pace and tone, demonstrating a
sense of hazy contemplation at stark contrast to the raw, angry passion
that typifies the rest of the record. For those who sneer at the very
mention of the concept of English black metal, this is a 'must hear'
release - indeed, anyone with a passing interest in the epic side of
black metal is urged to get hold of this album as soon as possible. A
contender for 'greatest UKBM album recorded thus far'? Without a doubt.
metalreviews.com (Alex)
With
many notable skeleton icons we have on this site to denote albums there
is still an important one lacking – Surprise of the Year. Having made a
mistake of giving away an Album of the Year once in my early formative
years as a reviewer, I have held on ever since with that tag. Yet, the
Surprise is a lot easier to identify, as the whole meaning of the word
implies that you were absolutely blindsided, in a good way. You
absolutely did not see it coming, but once you had a chance to take the
album in, deep in your gut you knew that is the one you have been
waiting for a while. A couple of years ago I knew it with Diadem of 12
Stars by Wolves in the Throne Room. And today, having practically lived
with this album for a month now, I know it with Loss by UK atmospheric
pagan black metallers Wodensthrone. (It is interesting how this genre
seems to uncover bands for me, which eventually vault into that big
Surprise category.)
In
Loss we have some of the most beautiful, thick and textured music,
constantly coming in waves, draping around one’s senses, utterly
isolating a listener from the sense of reality. Many a band try to go
for this nature inspired rustic fullness in their music, but few
achieve such mesmerizing swirl which Wodensthrone was able to
accomplish on Loss, using the Romanian studio and helping guidance of
Negura Bundet members. The feeling of roaming around the Foggy Albion
wilderness during ancient druidic times is complete here, without the
band having to resort to obvious gimmick melodies. Whatever folky angle
the compositions have (Upon These Stones), the tribal strumming never
becomes redundant and trite. And if rain and raven cawing effects are
present (Fyrgenstream), for once they are entirely believable. The
music on Loss is not simply composed, note after note, it is sculpted,
as if cut out and eventually turned back into a lasting monolith.
Long
and complex, Loss compositions have distinct viewpoints, or so I
surmise. Heofungtid has a bit of a militaristic mindset with double
bass stirring a pre-battle sense of anxiety and anticipated triumph,
before rousing tremolo and subtle keyboard waves create an unbearable
desire to plunge into Alcest-like euphoria. Those that Crush the Roots
of Blood has more blasting character, with the riff around 6 min
leading into dramatic, symphonic and almost cathartic closure. Black
Moss is the most disturbing, the most threnodious, the blackest track
on the album, invoking darker forces celebrating around the fire, on
hallucinogens, before the waves of eerie jangly synthesizer a-la Blut
Aus Nord barge in. The closer That Which is Now Forgotten is the
saddest lament of them all, but it still has the wild untamed spirit,
oozing out of every Wodensthrone pore.
Switching
drum beats subtly and utilizing keyboards cleverly, to shade, not to
dominate, the record is complete with cavernous voice, constantly
falling down deeper into the abyss, reaching for understanding, without
grating the senses. The vocals on Loss are just another piece in the
texture, not meant to be heard distinctly in front of the mix.
Upon
hearing Loss I have both musical and literary recommendations. This
album is a must for the fans of Negura Bundet, Fen, Wolves in the
Throne Room, Kerbenok and Klabautamann. And if you want to read about
the ancient Britain being slowly trampled under the feet of advancing
Christianity and monotheism, and do it in the most breathtaking story
context, you owe it to yourself to read the Winter King trilogy by
Bernard Cornwell. 92/100
metallife.com (Terry Bunch)
Dark
pagan black metal from England full of the speed, ferocity and keyboard
overlays that one would expect from this genre. However, Wodensthrone
do not stop there and they add some of their own elements to the mix.
The songs switch from melody to aggression and the frost laden vocals
of Brunwulf pierce the music like thorns.
Lyrically,
the band tends to focus on ancient Britain and the majesty that has
been lost since those better days. Tracks like "Upon These Stones" and
"Leodum on Lande" express the band's heritage well.
The
dual guitars of Rædwalh and Wildeþrýð and Hréowsian's drums and
Gerádwine's bass blasts provide a rich texture to the music which is
often missing from back metal CDs. Each track tells a story and each
has its own identity (another element missing from a lot of black metal
releases).
Overall,
Wodensthrone have produced an enjoyable black metal CD that does not
simply follow the existing formulas, but cuts its own path into the
darkness. 7/10
Absolute Zero Media (Clint Listing)
This is by no means a simple release to listen to or review in any
manner. Wodensthrone is a craft a skill a modern masterpiece of extreme
blackened metal. Wodensthrone is three very distinct parts of the whole
. As the root of it all this is a Black metal band but you must include
the elements of viking metal that are very much in the Falkenbach and
Vintersorg manner to this reviewer. The icing on the cake so to speak
is the Folk or Traditional music mixed in were it reminds me of bands
like Agalloch, A Forest of Stars or Wolves in the throne room. That
should give you a real picture of what Wodenthrone are all about.. The
more I listen to the release there is a kindred spirit to bands like
Borknagar and Burzum too. Wodensthrone has so many level and layers
going on with a very strong melodic overtone. The Blackened battle
cries work well with the synth backdrops too. If your all remember a
band called Somnus these gentlemen remind me a lot of that project.
There is a strong pagan tie to this band and the thoughts they are
creation. The blistering drums and rumbling bass with the delicate
acoustic's of the guitar make the whole journey all the more special
for the listener. Bindrune has a very important release here and will
break them to a new level of exposure and I can not wait for
Wodensthrone next release even if its 3-4 yrs from now.
WODENSTHRONE (UK) - LOSS:
(Bindrune Recordings)
Sometimes
it gets pretty overwhelming with all the black metal we get coming
through these doors, not that we don't love it, but it can become easy
to lose track of everything. Which of course makes it really awesome
when something just blows you away and reminds you why you got into
black metal in the first place. Britain's Wodensthrone happen to be one
of those bands. Not that there's anything mindblowingly original about
these guys, it's just that Loss is delivered with a sincerity, not to
mention an expert musical prowess, that really makes this one stand out
among the sea of bands currently making the rounds. Featuring (edit: former) members
of Atavist and Winterfylleth and recalling the majestic approach of
bands like Emperor, Enslaved, Weakling, and Wolves in the Throne Room,
Wodensthrone would be a pretty good example to explain what black metal
sounds like to the uninformed. "Epic" would definitely be the word to
use here, and this actually caught us a bit off guard considering how
many bands have been taking a more raw approach as of late.
Wodensthrone
are one of those bands who will remind you that synthesizers can be
used for more than creating Cradle of Filth styled ridiculousness, as
the keyboards here are both cinematic and sprawling, adding essential
atmospherics to make you aware of black metal's obsession with the
natural world. While these elements could very easily suck in the wrong
hands, here they fit perfectly in conjuring Britain's pagan past. The
production on Loss is enormous, and it makes total sense that the band
ventured to Romania to record with members of Negura Bunget at their
studio. Like Negura Bunget, Wodensthrone expertly merge folk-inspired
elements from the respective country with a gigantic metal sound. It's
worth noting the pagan influence here, as the melodies and overall mood
of the album appear to be a little more, shall we say "positive", when
compared to the all out evil of satanic black metal. There seems to be
a serious awareness of classic British folk with melancholy acoustic
guitars, mandolins, and flutes all commanding a pretty significant
presence here, even in moments of all out metallic fury, and it's
really refreshing to hear this stuff done so well. Definitely a nice
surprise here, and enough to ensure that Loss will be on seriously
HEAVY rotation for quite some time.
August 2009
Aquarius Records
www.aquariusrecords.org
3:12 AM
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