- Aug 18, 2002
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Fauna – Rain
Aurora Borealis – 9 Dec 2008 (re-release)
by Ryan Starr
Rain is a one track, 63 minute opus that comes extremely close to brilliance, but suffers at the start.
The first time I listened, I wasn’t sure my CD player was working right. All I could hear was an indistinct static sound, but as I turned up the volume I discovered it was rain. Over 5 minutes of barely audible rain. This is eventually overtaken by a simple acoustic melody which drags for about 20 minutes. At that point, things start getting good. At the exact moment you start to wonder what the fuck is going on, you finally get to the black metal you were expecting, and it’s worth the wait. Fauna definitely know how to write some quality riffs, and they only get better as the song progresses to its epic ending at the hour mark. Like a leisurely walk through a sodden Oregon forest only to discover a haunting cave filled with unearthly sounds inviting you to explore its tenebrous depths.
Unfortunately there is one flaw, and it’s found in the acoustic part. It’s too simple. If they added just one more note to the chord melodies, it would push this epic into a new level. Sometimes all it takes is just one more note, one more facet to the atmosphere to completely change everything. It seems a lot of the acoustic parts are simple chords strummed to a basic rhythm, which doesn’t really work for them. It works just fine for distorted guitars, but acoustic tone is too muddy and fat. It needs to breathe just a little bit more, letting each note have its time to shine. If I could give one small recommendation to Fauna for their next composition it would be to learn some complex minor chords and just pluck them out one painful string at a time.
Rain is a record that only the patient can enjoy. So if you think you have the endurance, stick it in your CD player and sit back and just take it all in.
Official Fauna Website
Official Aurora Borealis Website
Aurora Borealis – 9 Dec 2008 (re-release)
by Ryan Starr
Rain is a one track, 63 minute opus that comes extremely close to brilliance, but suffers at the start.
The first time I listened, I wasn’t sure my CD player was working right. All I could hear was an indistinct static sound, but as I turned up the volume I discovered it was rain. Over 5 minutes of barely audible rain. This is eventually overtaken by a simple acoustic melody which drags for about 20 minutes. At that point, things start getting good. At the exact moment you start to wonder what the fuck is going on, you finally get to the black metal you were expecting, and it’s worth the wait. Fauna definitely know how to write some quality riffs, and they only get better as the song progresses to its epic ending at the hour mark. Like a leisurely walk through a sodden Oregon forest only to discover a haunting cave filled with unearthly sounds inviting you to explore its tenebrous depths.
Unfortunately there is one flaw, and it’s found in the acoustic part. It’s too simple. If they added just one more note to the chord melodies, it would push this epic into a new level. Sometimes all it takes is just one more note, one more facet to the atmosphere to completely change everything. It seems a lot of the acoustic parts are simple chords strummed to a basic rhythm, which doesn’t really work for them. It works just fine for distorted guitars, but acoustic tone is too muddy and fat. It needs to breathe just a little bit more, letting each note have its time to shine. If I could give one small recommendation to Fauna for their next composition it would be to learn some complex minor chords and just pluck them out one painful string at a time.
Rain is a record that only the patient can enjoy. So if you think you have the endurance, stick it in your CD player and sit back and just take it all in.
Official Fauna Website
Official Aurora Borealis Website
