Agalloch - The Mantle

9.1 | 1454 votes |

Release date:	13 August 2002
Style:	Atmospheric black metal, Neofolk
Owners:	1643 have it 156 want it 3 trade it

01. A Celebration For The Death Of Man...
02. In The Shadow Of Our Pale Companion
03. Odal
04. I Am The Wooden Doors
05. The Lodge
06. You Were But A Ghost In My Arms
07. The Hawthorne Passage
08. ...And The Great Cold Death Of The Earth
09. A Desolation Song

Top 20 albums of 2002: 1
Top 200 albums of all time: 13

Song by Song

Reviews (2)

Lyrics (9)

Line-up
John Haughm - vocals, guitars, drums, percussion, ebow, woodchimes, samples
Donald L. Anderson - guitars, piano
Jason William Walton - bass, noisescape

Additional musicians:
Danielle Norton - trombone
Ty Brubaker - double bass, accordion
Ronn Chick - synths, mandolin, bells, programming
Aaron Sholes - samples
Neta Smolack - samples

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Rating:
9.5

In the true musical lineage of Opeth and Katatonia, Agalloch is one of these mystic and melancholic bands, excelling at playing a smart blend of Doom Metal and few elements from Melodic Death Metal, such as the voice a la Dark Tranquillity. Established as one of the best combos in their style and one of America's most interesting bands, Agalloch was founded in Portland, Oregon in late 1995. After a couple of demos, they scored a deal with The End Records in 1998 and their debut album Pale Folklore was released in 1999. In 2001, a limited MCD entitled Of Stone, Wind and Pillor was released and they then worked on today's chapter, their second full-length album, The Mantle. Agalloch is composed by John Haughm , Don Anderson and Jason William Walton .

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Rating:
10

Agalloch are a band that I have only recently started listening to, but they are the first band in a long time that I have fallen in love with instantly. Most of my favourites have grown on me overtime but there was something about The Mantle that captured me immediately.

I tend to listen to cleaner vocal songs, although there are death metal bands I like, but I thought I would be put off by Haughm's raspy blackened vocals. Instead I found them really beautiful the way they weave in and out of the music. That was the thing that struck me most about Agalloch: the beauty of it. The general formula seems to be power chords on electric guitar with gentle twangy acoustic melodies over the top. This works really nicely and the juxtaposition of the heavy and the soft is mirrored when Haugm's vocals become more tuneful. The first time this occurs is in "In The Shadow of Our Pale Companion"-the magnum opus of the album and Agalloch's best along with "Not Unlike the Waves" four years later. The rasps and whispers build up to an epic sounding tuneful cry which gives me shivers every time. The vocals then vary between these two styles, as well as monotone almost talking and whispers through the rest of the album, in a very fluid way. There is no clean verse to harsh verse pattern; it all blends into each other.

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Comments: 113 Visited by: 2316 users

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VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA	+1 03.09.2016 - 16:44 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA 10000000000000000000000000000000000000/10 Loading...
Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia	+3 03.09.2016 - 18:33 Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia Written by VIG on 03.09.2016 at 16:44 10000000000000000000000000000000000000/10 wish i could listen to it for the first time again ---- \|A New Power is Rising\| Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39794 From: The Netherlands	+1 03.09.2016 - 19:16 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39794 From: The Netherlands A Desolation Song is the perfect closer for this album. ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...
Pupkin Posts: 4 From: Spain	21.09.2016 - 21:22 Rating: 10 Pupkin Posts: 4 From: Spain My favourite metal album so far. Magnificent. Loading...
Metren Dreadrealm 2.0 Posts: 602 From: Estonia	+1 15.11.2016 - 20:53 Rating: 9 Metren Dreadrealm 2.0 Posts: 602 From: Estonia Written by Metren on 26.08.2016 at 18:41 I'm finally, very very slowly learning to appreciate this album and this band. Can't wait for the right moment to listen to this in the winter by the fireplace with a glass of mulled wine in my hand. And that time has come, rather sooner than I had expected. It's snowing (has been for days, even though it is only November), there's a fire warming my room, mulled wine to drink and this album. Perfect, absolutely perfect. Sometimes life's good ---- Dreadrealm's Bandcamp with free downloads: https://dreadrealm.bandcamp.com/ (200 Free Downloads Every Month is Bandcamp's limit) Loading...
Paw!! Posts: 918 From: Indonesia	12.12.2016 - 18:47 Rating: 9 Paw!! Posts: 918 From: Indonesia From Atmospheric Black Metal to Folk Metal, Dark Folk, Neofolk, Doom Metal, Post-Rock, Progressive Metal, I hear all of them in this fuckin album, still impressive. Loading...
VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA	02.02.2017 - 18:05 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA Written by Dima on 03.09.2016 at 18:33 Written by VIG on 03.09.2016 at 16:44 10000000000000000000000000000000000000/10 wish i could listen to it for the first time again Oh wow, i would give this a 7 out of 10 now maybe 8 Loading...
Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia	+1 03.02.2017 - 09:13 Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia Written by VIG on 02.02.2017 at 18:05 Written by Dima on 03.09.2016 at 18:33 Written by VIG on 03.09.2016 at 16:44 10000000000000000000000000000000000000/10 wish i could listen to it for the first time again Oh wow, i would give this a 7 out of 10 now maybe 8 you're not allowed to change your opinion ---- \|A New Power is Rising\| Loading...
VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA	03.02.2017 - 12:59 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA Written by Dima on 03.02.2017 at 09:13 Written by VIG on 02.02.2017 at 18:05 Written by Dima on 03.09.2016 at 18:33 Written by VIG on 03.09.2016 at 16:44 10000000000000000000000000000000000000/10 wish i could listen to it for the first time again Oh wow, i would give this a 7 out of 10 now maybe 8 you're not allowed to change your opinion but I am. Loading...
VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA	04.04.2017 - 23:50 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA Quote: Written by Dima on 03.02.2017 at 09:13 Oh wow, i would give this a 7 out of 10 now maybe 8 you're not allowed to change your opinion I swear, I was an idiot when I wrote that, this is a 10/10. My opinion changes too much. Loading...
Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia	+1 05.04.2017 - 12:38 Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia Quote: Written by VIG on 04.04.2017 at 23:50 Written by Dima on 03.02.2017 at 09:13 Oh wow, i would give this a 7 out of 10 now maybe 8 you're not allowed to change your opinion I swear, I was an idiot when I wrote that, this is a 10/10. My opinion changes too much. lmao what the hell man ---- \|A New Power is Rising\| Loading...
VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA	05.04.2017 - 14:37 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA Quote: Written by Dima on 05.04.2017 at 12:38 Written by VIG on 04.04.2017 at 23:50 Written by Dima on 03.02.2017 at 09:13 Oh wow, i would give this a 7 out of 10 now maybe 8 you're not allowed to change your opinion I swear, I was an idiot when I wrote that, this is a 10/10. My opinion changes too much. lmao what the hell man I don't even know. Loading...
Kvothe Posts: 40	01.10.2017 - 10:57 Rating: 10 Kvothe Posts: 40 Agalloch is definitely the band with the best finals in the metal. From And the great cold death of the earth, A desolation song and Bloodbirds from Ashes I feel a satisfying saisfaccion that leaves me a feeling that something divine happened. Definitely this album and Ashes are in my top 20 metal albums of all time. ---- Winter Is Here... Loading...
Paz Inner Metal Cage Posts: 3643 From: Poland	+6 02.10.2017 - 09:25 Rating: 9 Paz Inner Metal Cage Posts: 3643 From: Poland I just got the remastered version of this masterpiece on vinyl. It looks as cool as it sounds! ---- Follow me on Instagram: Loading...
Branowar Posts: 17 From: USA	06.12.2017 - 22:09 Rating: 6 Branowar Posts: 17 From: USA This album bores me. Loading...
Maco Handbanana Posts: 1951 From: Peru	02.01.2018 - 03:47 Rating: 10 Maco Handbanana Posts: 1951 From: Peru Listening to this in Cusco... it fits How can this album be so damn near-perfect? ---- I'm derp. Loading...
VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA	03.01.2018 - 23:00 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA Written by Maco on 02.01.2018 at 03:47 How can this album be so damn near-perfect? Yet you gave it a 10 (meaning it is perfect) Loading...
Alex F Slick Dick Rick Posts: 3301 From: USA	04.01.2018 - 12:06 Alex F Slick Dick Rick Posts: 3301 From: USA Written by VIG on 03.01.2018 at 23:00 Yet you gave it a 10 (meaning it is perfect) Don't be a pedant. I'd give it a 10 as well, although I think the closing track is slightly underwhelming. ---- Another stupid 2017 list buy$jnug Loading...
VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA	14.02.2018 - 00:14 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2292 From: USA This album may be perfect. Loading...
Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 7615 From: Canada	+1 14.02.2018 - 04:04 Rating: 9 Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 7615 From: Canada Written by VIG on 03.01.2018 at 23:00 Yet you gave it a 10 (meaning it is perfect) A 9.5 would round up ---- Checkout my band here! Loading...
DeliciousDishes Posts: 149 From: Germany	18.03.2018 - 18:23 DeliciousDishes Posts: 149 From: Germany I will never get the hype around this band. Loading...
Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia	19.03.2018 - 10:06 Dima Posts: 1593 From: Australia Written by DeliciousDishes on 18.03.2018 at 18:23 I will never get the hype around this band. That attitude certainly doesn't help ---- \|A New Power is Rising\| Loading...
DeathMetal Posts: 200 From: Canada	20.04.2018 - 06:28 Rating: 8 DeathMetal Posts: 200 From: Canada Beautiful album, a bit boring at times, but I liked it none the less. Loading...

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