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This album is labeled as Black Metal, but this genre is least heard on the album by my opinion. I would rather label it as Doom with elements of early deathrash, Black and some r’n’r. The entire album is said to be inspired by the atmospheres of a Thickthorn Woods (hence the name) in England, close to the author's home. And author is Mark Britton, mastermind of Excarnation. The entire opus is rather unusual, with lightly distorted guitars, simple, somewhat slow drums, lots of distant keyboards and hhmm, unclean shouted vocals. Melodies range from slow, first Cathedral-like doom grievance, over something based on standard r’n’r drum rhythm with slow double bass added (plus those guitars with light distortion and keyboards) to melodies similar to the earliest deathrash with barbaric (and stupid) simple drumming. Not only drums are very simple, but also guitars, sometimes they sound really primitive and barbaric as described in the press material. So, moods change throughout the album, sometimes they are dreamy and sometimes hard, but they keep the original mark, thanx to the unusual production in big part. The production is also a spot for critical look-back as everything sounds very thin and, maybe, weak. Sometimes there’s a feeling as if there’s no bass guitar to provide foundations for the guitar…
In conclusion, a very strange release, very atmospheric and out of classic boundaries. If you love to explore new musical fields, maybe you should try this, but I wasn’t too impressed.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Nocturnal Illusions |
| 2. Landscapes From The Past |
| 3. Moonlit Forests |
| 4. The Walk Into Darkness |
| 5. The Eternal Battle |
| 6. Thickthorn |
| 7. The Woods Of Ancient Dreams |
| 8. Reign Of Terror |
: 30:32
| Buy other Ethereal Woods albums |
