Wolves in the Throne Room - Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge Review

You, my dear child of the night who reads this poorly written review column – I really don’t get why, but thanks a ton anyway – must have noticed I keep saying I wasn’t really an Extreme Metal fan when I was in my teens. In fact, except for one or another band, I didn’t like Extreme Metal at all. Truth is I turned a de facto fan when I started writting this poorly written review column for this prestigious webzine – I’m totally aware I’m no Lester Bangs. No, do not try to blame them for keeping me. It’s not their fault. Really. While researching for news or info about Black Metal bands, there was a name came which I frequently bumped into. The name was Wolves in the Throne Room, one of the most solid Black Metal acts which has been hauting us since 2002. As I am totally aware of the fragility of my writting I’ll leave my dear fan with Pitchfork’s statment about them, “it’s the inclusion of folk and goth that separates Wolves in the Throne Room from the pack, breaking up the madness with moments of poetic clarity.” Yeah, it’s really a band to respect.

After a two-year hiatus, Wolves in the Throne Room are releasing the EP “Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge” which, in a matter of saying, is a comeback to their original sound being dense and atmospheric as hell. The band is widely known for its unusual approach to Black Metal. I can’t help it but agreeing with member Aaron Weaver who has said, “Wolves in the Throne Room is not black metal, or, more accurately, we play black metal on our own terms, for our own reasons.”

The album commences with album warmer “Beholden to Clan” which is a lesson on how to be loyal to one’s background and at the same time making an astonishing piece of Black Metal music. The song starts with a moody keyboard which soon opens the floodgates to a relentless drumming mixing both techniques of blast beats with the Black Metal pounding. The effect the song cause to one who’s never heard the band’s music is overwhelming. Big cannons are big cannons for a reason. Wolves in the Throne Room do deserve their mystique aura. By the way, mystique is a term that fits perfectly to “Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge,” if you know what I mean. The track is a perfect sample of how a band can be grand and great without being presumptious. Following track “Twin Mouthed Spring” is even greater with a sonorous guitar blasting combined with the drums that soon goes away to leave the fan with a melodic acoustic guitar strumming. The song is of a pure evil beauty. However, with “Initiates of the White Hart” Wolves in the Throne Room go further with a Folk intro to give the song the ancient intent the band talks about in the tittle. Even though many Black Metal bands idealizes the past, I don’t think that’s Wolves in the Throne Room‘s intent. My guess is that the band wishes to bring the past back as a way of reminding it.

One more album to my tally of bands to nominate as best of the year.

Wolves in the Throne Room “Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge” was released on September 29th via Relapse Records.

Track Listing: