Gwynbleidd Amaranthine EP
Self-Released 2006
By Jason Jordan
The greatest thing an unsigned band can do is take their music seriously, and Gwynbleidd do just that. Hailing from the largest city in the U.S., the foursome are now sporting the Amaranthine EP, which has not only a professional look, but a solid production too. Dont be thrown off by the letters E and P, however, because the disc is actually 40 minutes total, and the group wastes no time conveying their blend of folk-laced death.
Fancy Opeth, Agalloch and Enslaved? Hopefully you do since Amaranthine contains traces of each, especially in regards to the Swedes of the aforementioned bunch. At first glance it appears that Nostalgia, New Setting, The Awakening, and Lure of the Land compose a four-song album, but closer inspection reveals that the songs are separated into two camps on the tracklist. Nostalgia and New Setting are rumbling death metal compositions that contain plenty of melodious guitar work, and when combined with the rhythms and everyday growls, leave no choice but to recall Opeth. Strangley, Gwynbleidd dont quite excel the first two drag a bit until 6:20 of New Setting with the ushering in of Still Life-esque riffs, drums, and atmosphere. After said development, the quality continues to ascend.
The Awakening sees acoustic guitar enter, in addition to Enslaved-like clean chanting, but the real excitement comes from such well-developed folk sections. The inspirational, jig-fostering portions of The Awakening are incredible, as are the medieval, Renaissance fair vibes heard on Lure of the Land. Gwynbleidd are at their finest when interweaving metal and folk, rather than allowing one to monopolize their output. In other words, the former technique should occupy the very top of their to-do list.
Amaranthine is definitely an impressive piece of music, which displays an alarming amount of potential that I hope is fleshed out in subsequent releases. The properties they share with other groups will do them no harm at this point, but it also wouldnt hurt to venture away from the pack in the near future. For now, Gwynbleidd are a safe listen. Next time, though, Ill be expecting more.
7/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Gwynbleidd Website
Self-Released 2006
By Jason Jordan

The greatest thing an unsigned band can do is take their music seriously, and Gwynbleidd do just that. Hailing from the largest city in the U.S., the foursome are now sporting the Amaranthine EP, which has not only a professional look, but a solid production too. Dont be thrown off by the letters E and P, however, because the disc is actually 40 minutes total, and the group wastes no time conveying their blend of folk-laced death.
Fancy Opeth, Agalloch and Enslaved? Hopefully you do since Amaranthine contains traces of each, especially in regards to the Swedes of the aforementioned bunch. At first glance it appears that Nostalgia, New Setting, The Awakening, and Lure of the Land compose a four-song album, but closer inspection reveals that the songs are separated into two camps on the tracklist. Nostalgia and New Setting are rumbling death metal compositions that contain plenty of melodious guitar work, and when combined with the rhythms and everyday growls, leave no choice but to recall Opeth. Strangley, Gwynbleidd dont quite excel the first two drag a bit until 6:20 of New Setting with the ushering in of Still Life-esque riffs, drums, and atmosphere. After said development, the quality continues to ascend.
The Awakening sees acoustic guitar enter, in addition to Enslaved-like clean chanting, but the real excitement comes from such well-developed folk sections. The inspirational, jig-fostering portions of The Awakening are incredible, as are the medieval, Renaissance fair vibes heard on Lure of the Land. Gwynbleidd are at their finest when interweaving metal and folk, rather than allowing one to monopolize their output. In other words, the former technique should occupy the very top of their to-do list.
Amaranthine is definitely an impressive piece of music, which displays an alarming amount of potential that I hope is fleshed out in subsequent releases. The properties they share with other groups will do them no harm at this point, but it also wouldnt hurt to venture away from the pack in the near future. For now, Gwynbleidd are a safe listen. Next time, though, Ill be expecting more.
7/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Gwynbleidd Website