Agalloch
Ashes Against The Grain
The End

I'm relatively new to Agalloch, but I've recently embraced them with somewhat uncommon gusto. Theirs is a very dynamic and natural sound; incredibly hard to pin down and even further developed and refined with this latest release, 'Ashes Against The Grain'. Most noticeably, the flow, feel and structure of each song has been bolstered by a strong post-rock influence.

Where the prior releases benefited from a predominately folk, ambient black metal and subtly gothic, even doom metal, aura, 'Ashes Against The Grain' takes a more melodically uplifting and inspiring tack.

The immediate standout tracks are Falling Snow and Not Unlike The Waves. The former opens with perhaps the most exultant and melodic guitarwork on an Agalloch track to date, while Waves builds more slowly from a soft intro to a heavy, driving riff and later blooms into a sweeping and melodic masterpiece. The drumming is more prominent than ever before, keeping the songs structurally interesting and upbeat.

The vocals vary from cleanly-sung to soft, raspy, whisper-like growls and it's five minutes into the first track before we even encounter them.

The nine to ten-minute tracks will be a challenge for anyone accustomed to more mainstream and radio-friendly genres, but they allow for the construction of atmospheres on a scale otherwise impossible to imagine.

Each song soars through beautiful musical planes and vivid wintery imagery - not the grim, bleak coldness of Scandinavian black metal - but a beautiful, hypnotic and fresh sound which somehow retains a brooding, melancholy edge. It's definitely a source of emotion and release whose appeal should extend to Sigur Ros, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Opeth fans alike.

The upbeat sections and post-rock influences will sound strange and even a little too mainstream to older fans and the instrumental and electronic textures of closer The Grain might grate a little, but I believe time will show this to be Agalloch's best album yet.

Mike Cross