You have got to be kidding me!
Agalloch had just released their worst full-length and you call it 4th best album in the history of metal!? Just because it's Agalloch!?
World gone mad...

Second to the album Ashes Against the Grain.

Disappointing, fer mey.

only 4 real songs and 2 of em arnt that great, imo

still, it is beautiful

Excellent album. Definitely not as BAD as people say, but certainly not as GREAT as people say. It's probably my least favourite Agalloch album, but it's still sensational.
As well, Black Lake Nidstung is not the highlight of the album, but the last three minutes of that song are fantastic. I don't quite see the hype over that song. My favourite remains Into the Painted Grey.

Written by whitepawel on 28.11.2010 at 06:26

You have got to be kidding me!
Agalloch had just released their worst full-length and you call it 4th best metal album in the history of metal!? Just because it's Agalloch!?
World gone mad...

It's based on the votes. Nobody called it anything just because it's Agalloch.

Way, way below my hopes and expectations. "The Mantle" and "Ashes Against Grain" are probably among the best 20 releases of the last 10 years for me, but this one won't even make the first 200. Huge, gargantuan disappointment. I wrote a review for it, but I will not publish it. Well, maybe in a few months. But now, after 20 listens of the album, I can't rate it too high.

Written by K✞ulu on 29.11.2010 at 10:36

Written by whitepawel on 28.11.2010 at 06:26

You have got to be kidding me!
Agalloch had just released their worst full-length and you call it 4th best metal album in the history of metal!? Just because it's Agalloch!?
World gone mad...

It's based on the votes. Nobody called it anything just because it's Agalloch.

I know it's based on votes dude .
Nevertheless it was shocking
I'm glad it has changed.

Written by Daniell on 29.11.2010 at 11:26

Way, way below my hopes and expectations. "The Mantle" and "Ashes Against Grain" are probably among the best 20 releases of the last 10 years for me, but this one won't even make the first 200. Huge, gargantuan disappointment. I wrote a review for it, but I will not publish it. Well, maybe in a few months. But now, after 20 listens of the album, I can't rate it too high.

Thank you

Maybe 2 songs are good, rest of them.... not so much.

/goes and listens Ashes...

Great album. Agalloch did what they do best and decided not to stick to some trend. Great music...and that's what it is music. If you wanted more black metal then you will be disappointed, if you wanted something catchy like Falling Snow or something, you will be disappointed. Agalloch didn't repeat themselves, they didn't rip themselves off, instead they took their formula and made another great and different album. Look at the album from a musical prospective and not from the eyes of a closed minded extreme metalhead. This album has great songs throughout and some of John's best vocal work to date.

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12

Great album. Agalloch did what they do best and decided not to stick to some trend.

I didn't expect them to stick to a trend. They never did by the way.

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12

If you wanted more black metal then you will be disappointed, if you wanted something catchy like Falling Snow or something, you will be disappointed.

I just wanted good music, and MotS isn't good enough. I didn't want another "..." (insert song title here).

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12

Look at the album from a musical prospective and not from the eyes of a closed minded extreme metalhead.

So, by implication, if I dislike the album, I'm narrow-minded? Don't be ridiculous...
Also check my profile for bands I like, and try to call me narrow-minded.

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12
This album has great songs throughout and some of John's best vocal work to date.

I agree about vocals, they're the best element here.

Written by Daniell on 30.11.2010 at 14:54

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12

Great album. Agalloch did what they do best and decided not to stick to some trend.

I didn't expect them to stick to a trend. They never did by the way.

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12

If you wanted more black metal then you will be disappointed, if you wanted something catchy like Falling Snow or something, you will be disappointed.

I just wanted good music, and MotS isn't good enough. I didn't want another "..." (insert song title here).

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12

Look at the album from a musical prospective and not from the eyes of a closed minded extreme metalhead.

So, by implication, if I dislike the album, I'm narrow-minded? Don't be ridiculous...
Also check my profile for bands I like, and try to call me narrow-minded.

Written by Guest on 30.11.2010 at 01:12
This album has great songs throughout and some of John's best vocal work to date.

I agree about vocals, they're the best element here.

I'm not talking about closemindedness just within metal. I mean music as a whole.

There are parts of the new Agalloch album that impressed me because of the nonmetal elements. Take Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires for example. That song bleeds 80s pop and new wave influence, which are other genres I happen to enjoy. There is a ton of good song writing in the album. Perhaps the band just didn't write what you wanted. In that case, I don't know what to tell you. You are just going to have to be satisfied being unsatisfied I suppose.

Really, I said it already - it doesn't matter what I wanted. I listen to music first of all. Read my reviews - I'm open and positive even to bands that disappointed me many times. Also, among music I like are artists like: Jean Michel Jarre, Depeche Mode, Dire Straits or Massive Attack. I really can appreciate any kind of music if it evokes something in me. Agalloch failed to evoke anything strong this time.

You seem to be hell-bent on proving to everyone that this album is brilliant and that anyone who doesn't think so is wrong.
You are wrong my friend - we are entitled to our own opinions, and they are as valid as yours, no matter how different. I'm sure you can understand that

Yeah dammit.... really liked the first (real) song...but it went downhill fer mey after the.......such a bummer

Written by Daniell on 01.12.2010 at 17:25

Really, I said it already - it doesn't matter what I wanted. I listen to music first of all. Read my reviews - I'm open and positive even to bands that disappointed me many times. Also, among music I like are artists like: Jean Michel Jarre, Depeche Mode, Dire Straits or Massive Attack. I really can appreciate any kind of music if it evokes something in me. Agalloch failed to evoke anything strong this time.

You seem to be hell-bent on proving to everyone that this album is brilliant and that anyone who doesn't think so is wrong.
You are wrong my friend - we are entitled to our own opinions, and they are as valid as yours, no matter how different. I'm sure you can understand that

Looking at the last two posts, I'm glad I'm not crazy in that I just didn't find this terribly engaging, interesting or transporting. I guess I can say that the album is pretty experimental and seems to do some interesting (and I'm using this word a bit broader than I suppose one would assume) concepts, but nothing is ever done with them. The songs just seem to meander and go nowhere with these ideas. This kind of experimentalism in music always come off to me as incomplete ideas and just irks me that they aren't being used in a more complete fashion. I know some people find this brilliant but just leaves me disappointed.

I don't find any of it boring. I find it more interesting than their last album. To me, they do take the concepts places. The album may have a less metallic edge than say "Ashes Against the Grain" but "Marrow of the Spirit" has more of an atmosphere and bleakness to it. Into the Painted Grey is catchy but raw and full of a lot of dynamics. I get a very mellow feeling from "The Watchers Monolith" but even though I like the song and its transition to "Black Lake Nidstang," it's not my favorite. "Black Lake Nidstang" is perfect in my opinion. The song's droning beginning is so eerie and they take that a step further with John's whispers. Where the song was just eerie it becomes absolutely haunting with his screams. I cannot stop listening to that song. "Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires" is also another song I love. The outro gives me chills too.

I hate when I see comments like, "They are just giving this a high rating because its Agalloch. I was disappointed." Well guess what ... Just because you didn't like does not mean others can't love it. This album is not cut and dry. Sure some people won't like it. Some people probably hated "The Mantle." I like the new album and so do others. Decibel Magazine just selected "Marrow of the Spirit" as album of the year. People are going to be divided over it, yes. But people aren't going to come on here and give it a 10 just because it's Agalloch.

I agree with you that its rubbish to assume most people will give it a 10 just because of a name on the cd. So far i have really enjoyed the album there are some great moments.

I think I'm brave enough to say that this is not what I expected. Not as excellent as their previous issues. But it's Agalloch ..

Written by Daniell on 29.11.2010 at 11:26

Way, way below my hopes and expectations. "The Mantle" and "Ashes Against Grain" are probably among the best 20 releases of the last 10 years for me, but this one won't even make the first 200. Huge, gargantuan disappointment. I wrote a review for it, but I will not publish it. Well, maybe in a few months. But now, after 20 listens of the album, I can't rate it too high.

i look forward to your review.

I'm not surprised this album has received contrasted reviews, it's definitely different from their past work (while still staying true to the Agalloch sound).

But personally, I can safely say Marrow of the Spirit has lived up to the hype. Excellent album it takes a while to fully appreciate, I'm not disappointed at all.

Absolutely love this album. It is right up there with The Mantle as my favorite from them. I love that it had a stronger black metal influence than their other releases. Plus, John's vocals are phenomenal.

This has been the only album I've listened to in two weeks now. I can't even remember where I last put my ipod because I haven't had the desire to listen to anything else lol.

I was wondering...
i enjoy agalloch's music quite a lot, but i still dont understand if the sound quality of the guitars is meant to be like it is. The distortion on the guitars sounds like if it was recorded on a basement with primitive equipment. Is it because they want it to sound cold and raw?

Written by patrickmetal12 on 11.12.2010 at 05:52

I was wondering...
i enjoy agalloch's music quite a lot, but i still dont understand if the sound quality of the guitars is meant to be like it is. The distortion on the guitars sounds like if it was recorded on a basement with primitive equipment. Is it because they want it to sound cold and raw?

They recorded it on vintage analog equipment, so it is to be expected that it'll sound less digitally altered. I personally love the dirtier production, as it lends a hand in creating atmosphere. The production reminds me a lot of Wolves in the Throne Room's "Black Cascade", which was also recorded on analog.

Thats awesome!

This album is fantastic. I just got it a few days ago, I've listened to it about three times. At this moment, I believe it's their best work since The Mantle, although I've enjoyed a lot of their EPs and singles since then. I think it's a stronger piece of work than Ashes Against the Grain, their last full length.

It's Unbelievable ... just this ...

Pure art

Got it a few days ago and I've been listening to it until now. I love it.

Great album ;p