Band:	Wolves In The Throne Room
Album:	Celestite
Style:	Dark ambient, Drone
Release date:	July 08, 2014
A review by:	Auntie Sahar

01. Turning Ever Towards The Sun
02. Initiation At Neudeg Alm
03. Bridge Of Leaves
04. Celestite Mirror
05. Sleeping Golden Storm

Wolves In The Throne Room. That name quite clearly means different things to different people. Upon the announcement that the band's fifth album would have no vocals or drums, and instead be more of an instrumental ambient album, a polarization of sorts occurred among the WITTR fanbase. Many were excited about the idea, but a good percent of others lamented the loss of the band's black metal personality that was to come. I happily planted myself in the former camp, and I'm very delighted to say that the Weaver brothers have exceeded my expectations with Celestite.

When the idea behind Celestite was originally let loose, I figured the album would be a natural continuation of those two short instrumental tracks from the previous album ("Permanent Changes In Consciousness" and "Rainbow Illness"). In some ways it is, but for the most part, the new Wolves In The Throne Room album moves even farther beyond them, creating an impressively enveloping, synthesizer-fueled atmosphere that is nothing short of dreamlike and hypnotizing, like floating among the trees that these guys so reverently celebrate. At times said synths take a more harmonic and monotonous role, such as on "Turning Ever Towards The Sun," and at others they take more of an upfront, lead role, focusing on actual melody, like on "Celestite Mirror."

Following the release of "Celestite Mirror" as a preview for Celestite, a few people jokingly started referring to the band as "Wolves In The Drone Room," but this comment actually isn't too far off point in regards to this album. Indeed, a fair amount of moments lurking within it bear a good resemblance to bands like Sunn O))) and Boris, in the aspect of the repetitive and tracelike nature of the guitars and other instrumentation, as on "Initiation At Neudeg Alm." The usage of french horn and trombone builds upon this vibe even more, and, when appearing, is quite epic to say the very least.

Celestite is thus a very interesting and important album for Wolves In The Throne Room, taking subtle influences from their previous albums, while also having the distinction of sounding nothing at all like them. Some listeners may dismiss this album for its lack of black metal, but to me the band were never truly about that anyway, at least not entirely. It was always the ambient elements, the pantheistic sort of effects, that gave Wolves In The Throne Room their distinct, transcendental edge, and nothing less. Celestite feels as though it is perhaps the greatest development upon this line of thought in the band's discography yet, and in a way feels a lot more honest and genuine for this reason, as if it was something the Weaver brothers had been wanting to do for a long time. Though quite the departure from some of their previous material, Celestite comes across as yet another triumphant chapter in the band's legacy, a distinction that will be likely to only solidify with time.

Check out "Celestite Mirror" over here, and stay tuned for the album's full release!