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It has been four years since the Norwegian progressive rock band White Willow released their third album "Sacrament". A long time that is but perhaps it could be worth the wait? White Willow was born out of the psychedelic folk ensemble The Orchid Garden in 1993, influenced by 70s bands like PFM, King Crimson, Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake. With the addition of bass player Marthe Berger Walthinsen for this album the band have recorded their heaviest album to this date, perhaps looking to reach a wider audience of not only the usual prog fans. New to the band is also keyboard player Lars Fredrik Frøislie who also leaves a clear mark on the record with his analogue keyboard layers. In the foreground as usual stands the female vocalist Sylvia Erichsen whose very emotional and delicate voice fits perfectly with every single mood represented in the modern sound of White Willow.
The old folk music roots of the band shines through once in a while still but the psychedelic 70s rock influences are much stronger and plays an important role on "Storm Season". Combined with tasteful song writing, heavy guitar riffs and highly emotional vocals it is not hard to understand why White Willow is the best selling progressive rock band on the Laser's Edge label. The mellow, dismal opener "Chemical Sunset" shows every winning aspect of the band while the heavier side is represented best by the dynamic "Soulburn" with both male and female vocals working side by side. In this song White Willow put their musical muscles on display but unfortunately the female vocalist doesn't have enough power and depth in her voices to be able to scream to the music this time. Sylvia's voice works best with the more relaxed performance of the softer songs.
While not a self-proclaimed contender for the album of the year title, "Storm Season" is a very impressive progressive rock album that should be of interest to fans of The Gathering, King Crimson, Änglagård and Anekdoten. Psychedelic, moody, experimental and straight-forward at the same time but never losing focus. Favorite picks: "Chemical Sunset", "Insomnia", "Storm Season".
| Tracklist |
| 1. Chemical Sunset |
| 2. Sally Left |
| 3. Endless Science |
| 4. Soulburn |
| 5. Insomnia |
| 6. Storm Season |
| 7. Nightside Of Eden |
: 47.25
| Buy other White Willow albums |
