Artist: Wolves In The Throne Room
Album: Two Hunters (purchase)
Year Released: 2007
Country: USA
Label: Southern Lord
Genre(s): black metal, folk, post-rock
This is the band that breaks all of the black metal cliches- Wolves In The Throne Room is an American band, living on a farm in northern Washington, with lyrics focusing on the environment and "eco-feminism" rather than barely coherent ramblings about Satan and the end of the world. Yes, I know many may cry "WHERE IS TEH KVLT!!!1!!11!!" but the truth is, this is probably the best black metal release I've ever heard. The first track, "Dia Artio", shows off the band's ability to create beautiful, melancholic soundscapes that pull you in and don't let go until the end of the album. The second track, "Vastness and Sorrow", is the other half of their sound, wasting no time and getting right to the epic black metal that they're known for. The next track, "Cleansing", is more of a melding of the styles of the first two songs, blending a post-rock/doom atmosphere with the most well composed black metal you could ever imagine(including beautifully performed female vocals). The last track, "I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rocks And Roots", is a fitting end to the wondrous and extremely satisfying journey that is Two Hunters. Here's to hoping their next album is half as good as this one, as even that material would be better than 99% of the "black metal" out now.
Link: http://lix.in/fb98f877
