Of course. There is no substitute for looking into the bands’ background and lyrics for ourselves. I just really appreciate that the chance of falling in love with the music of truly awful people is far less likely here.
Just one reason Metal Storm is so incredibly important and useful for me, is the fact that when I discover a band here, I at least know the music itself isn’t an expression of nazism or some other evil ideology.
We’ve all probably paid for art made by horrible people. There is no way to be aware of every single band’s exact ideology, let alone the beliefs the individual members. Just one reason why… tbc
Additional info "Faustian Echoes" is a single, two-part song based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's epic masterpiece Faust. Reaching over twenty minutes, "Faustian Echoes" is the longest song Agalloch have ever written.
Here's a little game I like to play: guess what genre the next Agalloch EP will be? From the blasting lo-fi of From Which This Oak to the strange semi-electronic remixes on The Grey to the acoustic laden, Wicker Man-themed The White, Agalloch has managed a wide spectrum on their music palette, which makes this guessing game downright impossible. One thing's for sure, the EPs are never similar in genre to the preceding album, right?
Awesome song. It was great live, although I think they should have kept the middle and end commentaries for the performance. Too bad they probably won't be able to play this one live again for a while.
BTW, those interested in buying a physical copy of this can now. The band has it on their official ebay for $12 + shipping. I don't think the CD version is a limited release, unlike the vinyl, so their should be re-pressings of the CD version.
Agalloch have never failed to deliver captivating music, and this EP continues that tradition of excellence. If you had always been curious to hear what Agalloch would sound like if they played a purely black metal song, here you go. This is 20 minutes of dark, aggressive black metal. Of course, the flourishes and crescendos that Agalloch fans know and love are still very much present, as is Haughm's impeccable sense of melody and Anderson's great lead guitar playing, with Walton remaining a crucial, but more subtle element on bass. Aesop's dynamic drumming is fast becoming a staple of Agalloch's sound, and again the man works wonders here. Overall, another fantastic EP from this fantastic band.
I'm pretty sure the "bonus" track number 2 isn't a song at all. Side B is etched with Delacroix's "Mephistopheles Flying over Wittenberg." There is no song, to my knowledge.
This song is like that one porn video you keep watching where you fast forward close to the end when it gets real hot and heavy. The buildup is kind of dull and not that engaging but the finale makes you pop and keep coming back for more. A great and simultaneously blah track, in the way only Agalloch can do...
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
Probably the darkest thing the band created, and some of the finest display of guitarwork I've heard from them, it's also imo the best song not be be featured on a full length album, it's a real shame really.