Sophii
lil' rat
After liking Agalloch for a while, I can say now that their shit doesn't hold up anymore. Its a damn chore to even sit through a song.
Bergtatt has plenty of good black metal on it. The folk elements were well integrated and, given the Scandinavian old tale style of the lyrics, it makes all the sense to add instruments like flutes and baroque styled guitar pieces. It's folk/classical Scandinavian songwriting, not indie shit. Burzum used similar chord progressions until Fallen, Kampfar and Windir did it too and you can tell that those bands actually sound "Norse". Even Satyricon did it until Nemesis Divina.
The blatant ripoff from Ulver and Empyrium is way too much for my taste. And the vocals are a joke.After liking Agalloch for a while, I can say now that their shit doesn't hold up anymore. Its a damn chore to even sit through a song.
The blatant ripoff from Ulver and Empyrium is way too much for my taste. And the vocals are a joke.
About Ulver, the only weak album to me is War of the Roses. The rest are all ranked from good to excellent.
They are less ambient and more song based lately, but it's well done. The Assassination album features (IMO) a HUGE Depeche Mode/Kraftwerk Influence (Mostly Electric Cafe/Techno Pop, some Tour de France, MFTM, Violator, SOFAD, some Ultra).Ulver's discography after the first three is mixed. William Blake has some cool moments, but also some totally forgettable tracks. There's a good 40 minute album within a 100 minute album. However, I really like the next era: Perdition City, the Silence EPs, Lyckantropen Themes, Svidd neger. They were really good at these atmospheric electronic sounds with jazz and/or classical elements. However, they lost me when they went to more conventional song writing with Blood Inside, Shadows of the Sun, Wars of the Roses. I lost interest after that, so I have no idea what they're up to these days. I do appreciate that they were always trying something new.
Assassination is one of their best albums. The upcoming album seems to be in the same vein based on "Russian Doll" and "Little Boy". Fine by me.They are less ambient and more song based lately, but it's well done. The Assassination album features (IMO) a HUGE Depeche Mode/Kraftwerk Influence (Mostly Electric Cafe/Techno Pop, some Tour de France, MFTM, Violator, SOFAD, some Ultra).
However, I really like the next era: Perdition City, the Silence EPs, Lyckantropen Themes, Svidd neger. They were really good at these atmospheric electronic sounds with jazz and/or classical elements. However, they lost me when they went to more conventional song writing with Blood Inside, Shadows of the Sun, Wars of the Roses.
After liking Agalloch for a while, I can say now that their shit doesn't hold up anymore. Its a damn chore to even sit through a song.
Why? A good band. Even though their last album was not a good swan song, their previous full-length offerings were top-notch stuff. This album rocks in particular.
Why? A good band. Even though their last album was not a good swan song, their previous full-length offerings were top-notch stuff. This album rocks in particular.
I mean their early stuff is pretty good as far as that melo-black /post-black stuff goes, but I can't dig any of their newer stuff prior to the split. I'll stick to those first few and maybe The Mantle every once in a while.
The Mantle is definitely a great album, but it's Ashes Against the Grain that does the job for me. It's their creative apex tbh. Pale Folkore is great as well. And The Mantle has Agalloch's best track - In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion. Otherworldly stuff.