Renowned post-metal band Wolves in the Throne Room have returned with a companion album to their 2011 release Celestial Lineage. Entitled Celestite, the new album shows the band moving the synth and acoustic components of the previous album to the foreground and thematically expanding upon them in a total divergence from metal instrumentation and structure. This release has less in common with Lord Wind or Burzum‘s prison albums, although some relationship could be established between Celestite and Ildjarn-Nidhogg’s synth work, in addition to Neptune Towers and perhaps various Beherit projects. Celestite primarily takes its inspiration from artists which are tangentially related to metal rather than derived from it, with Eno being the primary source.
Showing more heritage from avant-garde scoring than other ambient/neo-classical projects, Celestite reveals multi-dimensional composition winding its way from the beginning of a piece to its conclusion without a grounded climax or resolution. Microcosoms of intensity provide linking points to connect various melodic strands together, which along with blending recurring tones with expanding timbrel variance provides enough solidity to congeal central parts within the fluid nature of the album. Melodies are introspective and restrained, though the elongation of their motion increases the importance of each progression. When the album reaches its striving heights, sensation is heightened appreciably whilst still retaining a contemplative essence. Carefully considered, the contrast between the light synth aura which is the operative timbre of the album’s framework, the overlaying of organic winds and lighter keys, and the almost oppressive, technologically demonic and bass-heavy force that intrusively invades the melody and flattens it temporarily before returning, embodies a sonic portrayal of the struggle between the forest and the machine.
The artistic duality of nature versus mechanism constitutes itself again in our times in an art form which is dependent upon the modern and yet wary of it. Celestite may find a re-grounding point for Wolves in the Throne Room, and be an inspiring blueprint for all who seek to move beyond black metal in a backwards-looking yet inexorably-forwards direction – upwards, towards…
The electronic works by Beherit, Ildjarn-Nidhogg, Lord Wind and Burzum all have a solid foundation in actually creating innovative and honest metal albums. See the difference? The idea was to escape metal somewhat because of the invasion of immitators and “me too” types that invariably flood any style they think has potential selling power. It is a disgrace to attempt to pass such a seemless comparison between honest and false but probably worse still to think that some of you really, actually, still don’t ‘get it’.
Celestite is an honest album.
On the other hand I kind of hope this was some sort of joke I didn’t get.
Define honest/false. Why pretend to be the brain police?
Objectively good honest subjectively bad false or whatever usual pattern the discussion is assumed to follow. Define ‘getting it’ and ‘not getting it’. If one could compare this with afformention Beherit and Ildjarn-Nidhogg works then they obviously don’t ‘get’ those works to begin with. False shit can get lost as far as I’m concerned.
Oh, okay, you mean good/bad according to your book. Thanks for clearing that up. Honesty as normally used in English has nothing to do with it.
Forget about the process of winning an argument for a moment and ask yourself ‘honestly’ does this music really give you the feeling of power or even something remotely close to what is generally considered to be top tier metal (as is generally agreed upon within the annuals of the underground). If your answer is yes, then the bigger problem is self-deceit not whether my opinion is correct or not. And no not everyone has the same tastes but they had still better uphold a general standard.
We are communicating here, and if you start making aesthetic arguments disguised as moral claims, don’t be surprised if people want that clarified. It was never about what you wanted to say (my answer to your question was no all the long), but how you said it.
This site often talks about the unity of content & form. You should apply the same standards to your communication.
The comments section here is usually people trying to feel important by projecting their egos.
Look at this guy getting mad because something he doesn’t like got praised. Whoever said this is metal anyway?
I’d rather read “tiny midget” and “disregard that, I suck cocks” comments all day.
Defending weak shit is the same as being forced to suck cock while convincing yourself that you’re ok with it.
make u happy??
Funny that isn’t it!
Neither of us seem to be able to know what “you know what I mean?” means. And to think that if we were having this same discussion at a bar or coffee shop, the issue might never have arisen.
Like with the new (and also the next most recent) Burzum album(s), I don’t understand the celebration of embracing ambient when it’s quite unremarkable ambient.
On second listen, this is better. Especially the second half, from about 7:00.
The album improves on further listens.
It’s not as easily dismissible as their pseudo-metal albums.
Review Scorn…
OK —
This is half assed soundscapes – hardly ambient.
There is nothing here except texture.
You fell for biggest hipster ruse: trendjumping
No kidding… I could barely believe it when we got a preview of the album. Most ambient music is just fucking gay too, it takes something really special to make a great ambient work. MUCH more so than it does to make good metal. It requires an understanding of the very essence of music. Ambient Burzum is probably the best metal -> ambient example overall but it’s: 1) Not as good as metal Burzum 2) Kind of patchy even when it’s good. This is just… I dont even know what it is. At least you could hate other WittR records, I just want to erase this non-event from my memory.
In this instance I get the feeling that events are being fit into an ideological mold. The belief is that these poseur bands should drop the metal act and do what they want; become more “honest”. This is being touted as an example, it aint. I actually struggle to think of any examples, I cant think of any bad metal band that’s gone on to make okay to good versions of any other kind of music. If such a thing happens its usually the already talented selling out or trying something different.
The track was not too bad, but I wouldn’t make a big deal of it (I wouldn’t return to it). The only thing I don’t like is that Wolves in the Throne Room is getting attention making this fairly generic music over others just because of their “black metal” past (hype it to another audience). It’s like Ulver all over again…
Let’s state some facts:
This track isn’t really more advanced than what Jääportit has been doing 10 years ago.
Ulver (guitars era or not) is mostly pretentious crap that never really got any attention from the writers of this site.
The level of attention something is getting by the masses shouldn’t really be a criterion of quality.
I made some ambient over the weekend (not this soundscape shit). Would you like to check it out? You can decide if it’s good or not.
Yes. I’ll check it out. Please post again.
It’s not as good as Wolves in the Throne Room or Burzum….
Here’s a link: https://db.tt/RnpATxaL
This is hardly more honest. It’s completely see through.
The Ulver effect…
Honestly, it is crap.
All I’m seeing here is “I’m a better judge than you” comments. No explanation as to why this sucks or any attempt to refute the reviewer’s points whatsoever. Most even give the impression they didn’t even bother listening to the whole track.
Personally I think this style has potential but, even as it is, it’s better than 99% of this year’s metal releases and of course the rest of this bands crappy output. I know this doesn’t really say much but I’ ll wait for the full album to form a more complete opinion.
I doubt it’s that, I don’t think the reviewer likes this album any more than we do and I doubt he will ever listen to it again.
This is NOT better than 99% of metal releases. I’m sorry but ambient non-songs are not better than even bad songs. They may seem more important though.
So you’re claiming the reviewer is dishonest or naive now?
Just dishonest, yes, though I don’t mean it in a bad way (I don’t think he could get blinkered by this stuff).
I’m unclear as to how accusing me of lying during the course of the article would not be dishonest in a “bad way.”
Elucidate.
Have you heard the album?
No, but I think this track is sufficient to grasp the album, is this wrong? You are free to take the comment however you will, there is nothing to elucidate. I respect your views and insight when it comes to music but, as per my previous comment:
“In this instance I get the feeling that events are being fit into an ideological mold. The belief is that these poseur bands should drop the metal act and do what they want; become more “honest”. This is being touted as an example, it aint.”
[No, but I think this track is sufficient to grasp the album, is this wrong?]
Yes.
[Did you enjoy this album and will you listen to it again?]
Yes.
For elaboration, read the article.
On the other hand, perhaps an elaboration might help. From your history I don’t think you would be fooled by this kind of trendhopping. This is what I mean by “not in a bad way”, my suspicion of your… dishonesty stems from my respect. It is only a suspicion anyway, and the word “dishonest” is quite loaded even if it does describe what I mean. I would have avoided it were I not put on the spot. I regret it even now, but my view remains unchanged.
Did you enjoy this album and will you listen to it again?
I value being civil but I’m pretty sure most of these cunts aren’t throwing staight dice anymore so that’s where the respect ends. And no, sadly, the review wasn’t a joke.
The pulse is faint @ DMU. The front page seems like they’re going for an Invisible Oranges vibe.
[quote]I value being civil[/quote]
It doesn’t seem like it.
Nor does it seem possible to avoid hysterics.
It’s funny how there are people here who vehemently point out the arrogance and snobbery of Opeth fans, yet they themselves have that same arrogance about good bands to a much worse degree.
Opeth fan detected.
To be honest im really not that big of a fan, I was just using them as an example because theiy’re fanbase is used as the common template for pretentious know-it-alls.
I can imagine the band thinking ‘oh good, it created debate and controversy, which is better than total apathy’. Rather like with the new Burzum, an honest, well intentioned, but wholly unremarkable example of a genre (ambient electronica or whatever you’d like to name it) will garner attention completely disproportionate to its standing (quality wise) within said genre.
Although this track is not terrible, it offers nothing whatsoever that thousands of nameless noodlers with home studios haven’t been churning out for 40 years. It is particularly derivative (more so than Ways Of Yore, even), but it will sell because WITTR once made ‘black metal’. Shock! Horror! All of which wouldn’t be so bad if it led people to discover the great works of the ambient realm, but I suspect that it will not do so in most cases.
Eno’s generative music app created similar music to this (for me anyway).
It sounds good enough for me to download the album and listen to it from start to end; and shell-out cold hard cash for it if I find more than adequate. WITTR don’t lack for musical proficiency; they just never quite got black metal. This doesn’t mean everything they will produce will be utter horseshit; and they might have actually hit the nail on the head with this release.