Band:	Palefeather
Album:	Palefeather
Style:	Atmospheric rock
Release date:	March 03, 2014
A review by:	R'Vannith

01. Megaloceros Giganteus
02. The Trumpeter
03. Rombol
04. Pale Feathered Wind

Just how much of a legacy Pink Floyd left on progressive music has been shown to us recently. The surprise of a new album release has been stirring fans worldwide from their expectational stasis, and many will ponder the possibilities of a more modern sounding Floyd. The wait is on, and in the meantime, and for the purpose of such pondering, I find myself drawn to Palefeather.

What's behind those beards and mustachios isn't a Floyd classic, but it is something of an indication of what an all-father of prog might sound like, given a bit of modern polish and sheen. It's enthralling to witness that each of the members involved here have brought with them the stylistic textures and characteristics of their respective bands, and fashioned them anew into spaciously atmospheric and thoroughly Floyd derivative jams. Considering that the main acts of these musicians belong to the metal genre, it's fascinating to hear the distinctive styles at work in a context outside that of metal. The musicians involved are Robin Bergh (October Tide) on drums and percussion, as well as Björn Pettersson and Pierre Stam handling the rest of the instrumentation, both being members of In Mourning.

Logically speaking you might expect the mixed textures here to be two thirds In Mourning and one third October Tide, and you'd be right. While the sound pivots on the identifiably doom paced rhythms of Robin Bergh, taking a gentler rocking pulse than he would otherwise deliver, it's the crisp and gracefully flowing melodies which stand out, and are strung in only a way In Mourning members know how. However this collective know-how is put to an altogether different challenge on this album; to recreate the same atmospheric space of Pink Floyd's seemingly carefree psychedelia is no small feat, opting for a vocal-less approach to boot.

The feeling of floating and being caught in the keys and elongated melody is wonderfully present here, just in the way Pink Floyd mastered, and not merely in the way countless efforts have been made to pursue a similar style. Pale Feather isn't attempted derivation; it's a derivational success. The initial track "Megaloceros Giganteus" may stretch the style somewhat thinner than most would be game to, as it runs at over eighteen minutes, but it's surely an exercise in Floyd loving blissfulness. The mood is tranquil yet somewhat sombre, yet not without the keys creating some wistfulness to the comfortably paced melodies, which take their time to fully unfurl.

Interspersed in this thoroughly atmospheric nostalgia trip, the listener will notice distinctively In Mourning styled turns to the melodic sway that the songs pursue. Such an identifiable trait puts a stamp on this particular recreation of Floyd, adding a touch of individuality to it. It would be lax of me to suggest that this album is pure and simple Floyd flogging. It actually stands out on its own terms, amongst attempts to do like Floyd do, that is. This might be best understood by likening it to a cover song; the band covering the song in question are directly copying, or at least closely following, a tune and adding their own interpretation to it. Only, what is covered on Palefeather is a particular aspect of Floyd's style; that of their expansive atmosphere.

My description of this is getting a bit longwinded now, so for something far more entertainingly longwinded, give Palefeather a listen. It'll surely aid in tiding you over for the eagerly anticipated Pink Floyd album, The Endless River.