Ywolf - Dream Warrior
2004 - CDAR91 - Adipocere Records
By Philip Whitehouse
There's a lot to be said for the DIY approach to music - writing and recording all of the music for a project entirely on your own, for instance, can be a rewarding pursuit. At the end of a long process of learning how to write, record, mix and master a body of work of your very own, there comes a real sense of achievement. However, there's always the danger that without the presence of external influences, your masterpiece could actually be self-indulgent toss. Enter Ywolf, stage right.
Imagine the synthesised keyboard orchestrations backing up Cradle Of Filth's music. Fuse that to the more driving moments from the background music to a Final Fantasy video game. Add a slightly darker, more sinister bent and what sounds like the gruntings of a deranged troll belting out such risible lyrics as 'suddently I heard chanting voices inside my dizzy head/they warned me: this is just a dream, but the danger is real, I'll be dead!'. Leave out any 'real' instruments whatsoever - that's right, no guitars, drums, bass, not even a triangle. It's dodgy synthesised pipe organs and Gregorian chants all the way.
This is pointless, meandering, ambient only in the sense that it's almost impossible to concentrate on, relegating it to the status of abominable background music. The vocals are so out of character with the music that the whole affair becomes a self-defeating mess. Sorry, but I can find no way at all to recommend this to anyone except those who actually pop a stiffy reading third-rate heroic fantasy novels or those sad types who actually own the Final Fantasy soundtrack CDs - and listen to them regularly.
1/10
Ywolf Official Website
Adipocere Records Website
2004 - CDAR91 - Adipocere Records
By Philip Whitehouse
There's a lot to be said for the DIY approach to music - writing and recording all of the music for a project entirely on your own, for instance, can be a rewarding pursuit. At the end of a long process of learning how to write, record, mix and master a body of work of your very own, there comes a real sense of achievement. However, there's always the danger that without the presence of external influences, your masterpiece could actually be self-indulgent toss. Enter Ywolf, stage right.
Imagine the synthesised keyboard orchestrations backing up Cradle Of Filth's music. Fuse that to the more driving moments from the background music to a Final Fantasy video game. Add a slightly darker, more sinister bent and what sounds like the gruntings of a deranged troll belting out such risible lyrics as 'suddently I heard chanting voices inside my dizzy head/they warned me: this is just a dream, but the danger is real, I'll be dead!'. Leave out any 'real' instruments whatsoever - that's right, no guitars, drums, bass, not even a triangle. It's dodgy synthesised pipe organs and Gregorian chants all the way.
This is pointless, meandering, ambient only in the sense that it's almost impossible to concentrate on, relegating it to the status of abominable background music. The vocals are so out of character with the music that the whole affair becomes a self-defeating mess. Sorry, but I can find no way at all to recommend this to anyone except those who actually pop a stiffy reading third-rate heroic fantasy novels or those sad types who actually own the Final Fantasy soundtrack CDs - and listen to them regularly.
1/10
Ywolf Official Website
Adipocere Records Website
