What Are You Listening To?

[SteveO]

Glad you liked it, Tig ???? Every time I look at a best metal or best goth metal poll Agalloch is number one, two and three.. The Mantle,Marrow of the Spirit, Ashes Against the Grain or Pale Folklore their four studio albums flip flop back and forth depending on which poll you look at and when !

On the laptop.

Band's second album, from 2002.

SteveO's been itching for me to give this a listen for a while now, after I sat on the fence over their Marrow of The Spirit album, so here it is, my take on The Mantle...

I'll start by saying that there are some elements of this record that stray outside of my normal listening criteria: I'm really not a metal-head, and I don't like the growly vocals thing. That having been said, the instances of beyond-comfort-zone stuff are relatively few, and certainly not enough to spoil a very good album.

Some lengthy instrumental sections on here, which are not dissimilar to the Post-Rock sounds of Godspeed You ! Black Emperor. I couldn't make out a lot of the growlies, but it all sounded suitably sinister, and will certainly sound better at a more unhealthy volume.

Definite Buy-Lister.

Thanks for the heads-up from all that championed this one.


AllMusic 4+/5 Stars.