Metalcatto
Today I felt like committing traffic suicide, because nothing new is coming out of this band as far as I know. However, some of us still long for Agalloch to return, but let’s be real—we’ll get world peace before that happens. Having said that, never has a top been so competitive and yet so easy for me. You almost know how this is going to go, but you want to be sure, right?
5. The Serpent and the Sphere: Frankly, a disappointing ending to a stellar run. This album isn’t bad due to any particular technical issue. It’s simply uninteresting. You’ll listen to it once and then move on to other things. The music just drones around too much. Agalloch always balanced its atmospheric capacities, but here, indulgence won the final battle, and we’re left with an album that could have used some editing. It’s not offensive, but it’s forgettable—and for a band like this, that’s almost worse.
4. Pale Folklore: There’s nothing wrong with this album. In fact, most bands would kill to have this kind of debut. Everything that Agalloch would become is here. Sure, the writing might be primal and direct compared to future albums, and there’s more Folk than Drone influences in Pale, but that just means the album is loyal to its name. It truly feels like a journey into the woods, while the stars guide our way with beauty and utter loneliness. A strong start to an incredible career.
3. Marrow of the Spirit: Agalloch effortlessly giving us a 4/5. It’s a solid and consistent album that would probably suck without “Lake of Nidstång”—a track that could be the best the band has ever made. Having said that, the rest of the album supports this level of greatness but never goes above it. This is probably the band’s droniest album. That would usually scare me, but the band manages to give purpose to its room noise. I can always return to Marrow and be satisfied.
2. Ashes Against the Grain: Okay, this thing is spectacular. Where Agalloch blends that analogue Black Metal with certain Folk simplicity, the result is probably the band’s most accessible and catchy work. Just listen to “Falling Snow” and tell me nothing there works at all—a weirdo is going to write in the comments now. The vocals here feel like death is whispering you a lullaby. The sense of brutal winter consuming all around is very real and heartbreaking, just like the rest of Agalloch‘s work.
1. The Mantle: If you didn’t think this was the obvious first place, then you know nothing about Agalloch—or everything about it. Saying this is revolutionary work might be more controversial than you think, since The Mantle is the USA’s response to Ulver. Even if that’s the case, American folk has the right to be seen, and the complexity here is a step up. This is one of the albums that turns Emo kids into something more respectable: an angsty Metalhead. Whether you love or hate Agalloch, there’s a before and after The Mantle. It’s bleak, it’s beautiful, and it’s essential. If you haven’t heard it, do yourself a favor and fix that. If you have, you already know why it’s here.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 