Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit review
| Band: | Agalloch |
| Album: | Marrow Of The Spirit |
| Style: | Neofolk, Atmospheric black metal |
| Release date: | November 23, 2010 |
| A review by: | Susan |
01. They Escaped The Weight Of Darkness
02. Into The Painted Grey
03. The Watcher's Monolith
04. Black Lake Niðstång
05. Ghosts Of The Midwinter Fires
06. To Drown
07. Nihil Totem [tour edition vinyl bonus]
08. The Weight Of Darkness [tour edition vinyl bonus]
Like remembering a dream, the opening minutes of this album serenade us with a haunting cello solo. The sound of a nearby forest stream provides a backdrop for this melody; it's a familiar yet distant setting. Have I been here before? Just as the dream becomes clearer and you reach that part of your memory that hides it, the crushing guitars break open the door and all hope is lost.
Agalloch once again accosts us with their inescapable heavy atmosphere. You will be brought to this place and made to listen, to feel. Musically, we're treated to a barrage of blast beats and intense cymbal work layered with dark melody and John Haughm's vocal attack (often almost black metal style vocals with excellent diction: nearly every lyric is understandable). If you expected a crushing, moody, intense, epic journey, then you guessed right. Sometimes the speed pushes and pulls us along this rough, forested path, other times we're staggering slowly through acoustic instrumentation and whispered vocals. Cold guitars lend their icy melody throughout.
Since the beginning, Agalloch has created a sound that is uniquely their own. Though they straddle many genres (bits of folk, black, doom, gothic, ambient) they are none of these and all of these. Fans from across the spectrum find a favourite ingredient in Agalloch and are uncontrollably drawn to the rest. Marrow of the Spirit seems to draw bits more from black and doom metal at times than some of their previous albums, but fans of their folk and ambient side will not be disappointed, there's plenty for everyone. And it's all in the atmosphere: despite the speedy drum work, you can soak up this album in front of a fire on a rainy night, if you so desire, or let the crushing intensity in with a more physical gesture, headbanging options included. There is no wrong way to let this music overtake you.
The album closes with "To Drown," a slower tempo track that seems to lead us on an endless death march. Relentless rhythm and those freezing cold guitars lead this mesmerizing 10-minute instrumental closer. In the last minute, the assault ends and it seems we've been led to the ocean. It is here that we are gently laid to rest, only to crave the journey once more.
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Written on 08.12.2010 by
Susan appreciates quality metal regardless of sub-genre. Metal Storm Staff since 2006. Twitter: @HeavyMetalSusan |
Comments page 2 / 4
| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.12.2010 at 16:38 Public Enemy  
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Elio on 09.12.2010 at 18:38 yep that's the one I was refering to, thanks. 
---- 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 
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Bte reading through this thread it's apparent Agalloch fans are just as bad as Opeth fans.
---- 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
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| Homer S. Account deleted |
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| advent Posts: 268  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.12.2010 at 22:05 And I am fan of both  BTW the album is a huge disappointment to me, it needs more time to grow on me.
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.12.2010 at 22:05 So you're saying I'm bad?  C'mon, what can I do if I like it a lot? I don't expect everybody to love it as I do, I know I'm biased.
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| Mikyz Posts: 711  |
Well, I don't find this album to be particularly bad, at first I was infatuated by it but after a while its effect dissipated and the only song that I seem to go back is Into The Painted Grey. So all in all, it's a solid album for me, but it's far below the level of The Mantle.
---- Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702  |
Great album, a bit unfocussed here and there, but still very enjoyable... as far as I'm concerned, it ranks high up there with The Mantle and Ashes... and to the people who moan about Agalloch, I'd like to ask: how many bands have given you such consistency? Marrow might not be a masterpiece, but it's pretty good stuff...
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| Battlelord Posts: 118  |
This is a really nice review, thanks.
---- I see the fear you have inside, you can run but never hide I will hunt you down and tear you limb from limb Nothing shall remain, not your memory, your name It will be as though you never, ever lived
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| the stranger Posts: 398  |
This is a disappointment, no, it's not a bad album, but it's not great either. It is a decent album, an enjoyable one. Nothing less, nothing more.
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| spirit_inblack harshhead Posts: 715  |
Looks like a lot of people won't be ordering from Viva Hate again in the future.. 
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| VPeter Posts: 1450  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.12.2010 at 22:05 Do you really mean "this thread"? because so far there is no Agalloch fan crying out loud "THIS IS A MASTERPIECE!!!! MOVE OVER BEETHOVEN AND MOZART!!!! HOW DARE YOU DOUBT OPETH"S GREATNESS!!!". There are actually a pretty lot honest people saying they find it a disappointment to. Is your comment directed to Agalloch fans here who still love this album? purely because they don't find it a disappointment? that is just as close minded as a radical Opeth fan. I'm not saying your just as bad as an Opeth fan, but that comment kind of hints in to that direction.
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
I think it's a good album... great or not, it depends on how you see the change of direction... personally, I wouldn't have liked another Ashes... that would have been boring...
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| flamey Posts: 109  |
I had great expectations on this one, and I was quite disappointed. I think it is an uninspired album. Not necessarily bad, but certainly doesn't live upto their standards.
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6101  |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 10.12.2010 at 15:53 Oh, do you mean with 3 consecutive albums? Or 4? MANY: Enslaved, Moonsorrow, Satyricon, Drudkh, Slayer, Opeth, Candlemass, Behemoth, Morbid Angel, Death. I'll stop at 10, off the top of my head, but I can name 50. I don't "moan" about this album, I simply find it much weaker than their previous 3 releases. And believe me, Agalloch is among 10 bands that I would never want to have to say this about.
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
Go ahead and put me in the Agalloch fanboy club. I love this album. This, along with Black Cascade, sounds amazing on my terrible non-music speakers at work. Apparently both albums were recorded using old analog equipment.
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| Marcus Doit Like Bernie Posts: 642  |
Like everyone else I had my hopes up way too high for this release. Don't get me wrong its a good album but obviously one has to compare it to their previous work and MotS is unfortunately much worse. Written by Daniell on 09.12.2010 at 10:08 So what, review it anyway. It'll be nice to have a review with a vastly different perspective.
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| Zuzuz0r Posts: 507  |
I find this album to be better than some previous releases like Pale Folklore(don't get me wrong, I like it a lot, but honestly I enjoy MotS better), and probably at the same level of The Mantle and Ashes Against the Grain. Though, I still consider The Mantle to be their total masterpiece, this one stands out pretty well.
---- If this grand panorama before me is what you call God Then God is not dead.
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| Susan Smeghead Elite Posts: 6941  |
Written by Marcus on 12.12.2010 at 02:23 Agreed! Bring it on Daniell
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Susan Smeghead Elite Posts: 6941 |
I'll admit, I can sort of understand why some of you are disappointed. It's not The Mantle, and not as good as some other releases as well. Yet, take it on its own merit (instead of comparing) and it's everything wonderful I said it was. Just don't listen to The Mantle immediately before listening to this ..... 
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by Daniell on 11.12.2010 at 11:30 apart from Enslaved and Opeth, I don't like any of the band you quoted... maybe there lies the problem...
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6101 |
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| nymetal Posts: 2  |
I Love this band. Having recently just found out about them, I immediately rounded up their albums. Haven't gotten through them all, but The Mantle, and Ashes of the Grain have taken me to another level. Seriously deep music, with an atmospheric sound that draws you in no matter where your mind is. I am sorry to say, not only did I think the recording itself sounded to be of poorer quality than Ashes of the Grain, I found the album a little boring. It's good, but it doesn't blow me away. This album takes you places, and it does pull you in, but I personally do not feel as if they drew me in the whole journey. I wish the sound quality were better. I was hoping for more. That is about all I can say in conclusion. I know they have released quite a few albums, many with lengthy songs, but this will not be as memorable to me as others. Next time they travel to the Romanian Carpathian Mountains, I hope we get something different.
---- if i didn't have metal, i wouldn't have anything. besides my girlfriend, and she's fucking awesome. bought my ticket to Opeth.
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| omjaimes omjaimes Posts: 99  |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Probably my least favorite Agalloch release. It's good, don't get me wrong. But it lacks the complexity of their earlier works and seems a little more...blunt, which for me doesn't work with the atmosphere of the album.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| gattz Posts: 4 |
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