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Forged from the ashes of the original ‘Green Carnation’ (before Tchort left for ‘Emperor’), ‘In The Woods’ has come to be known as one of the primary driving forces in experimentation in the Norwegian metal scene. Their stunning debut, “Heart of the Ages” is a testament to their originality and musical prowess, and a forerunner of many newer acts (‘Agalloch’ bear some distant resemblances, for example). The album itself kicks off with the twelve-and-a-half minute “Yearning the Seeds of a New Dimension” which sets the pace for the rest of the album: diverse, textured, ambient, natural and… well, damned good. Expect tempo changes, vocals ranging from rasped whispers to full blown shrieks, and early black metal bombast contrasted with atmospheric passages; to examine the album song-by-song, however, would be futile, as it really is meant to be experienced as a whole. The artwork is suitably impressive; dark Norwegian forests, cramped, handwritten lyrics, and philosophical quotes seem to set the mood for the album nicely. There are moments of weakness, however, as is to be expected in most debuts: the vocals can be a little weak or strained at times, and occasionally the mix seems to be a little off, but these are the only significant downsides, and don’t really take away from the piece as a whole. Fans of expansive, extreme music should take note, as should any open minded black metallers: it may take a few spins, but once you get your head around it, this album is truly impressive.
Standout tracks: Heart of the Ages, In the Woods, The Divinity of Wisdom.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Yearning The Seeds Of A New Dimension |
| 2. Heart Of The Ages |
| 3. …In The Woods |
| - Prologue |
| - Moments Of… |
| - Epilogue |
| 4. Mourning The Death Of Aase |
| 5. Wotan’s Return |
| 6. Pigeon |
| 7. The Divinity Of Wisdom |
: 59.10
| Buy other In The Woods albums |
