Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial Arcana Review

To think out of the box isn’t a clichè per se. A few subvertion poured to that formula – ops, formula doesn’t go with out of the box – adds a lot more as well. A little bit of nonsense in the musical way does help a lot too. Though, I believe regarding to today’s music it’s very, extremely hard to stand out as, maybe, everything has been tried and worn out. Maybe, maybe not.

It’s been a while Metal music has been incorporating some soundscape feature in the music. Some call this post-Black Metal or some other labels. In a sense, most of the bands I tried up here were a bit disappointing because they were too sad and boring to the point to make a person try to kill oneself. Don’t get me wrong guys, I do like some sadness a deep sorrow and maybe even some agony in music, but to me, the beauty in Extreme Metal music is the contrast made of the harsh and strong to the sweet, sweet pain, if you know what I mean. “Primordial Arcana” of Wolves in the Throne Room delivers it beautifully. “Primordial Arcana” is the kind of album that would make me think that this mix with 1980s Gothic Rock as the Sisters of Mercy is pretty common and abundant. I know I maybe overreacting or even simplifying it a bit but that what I feel when I listen to a track as “Mountain Magick” and lyricism. Maybe a way of defining “Primordial Arcana” is where Black metal met Gothic Rock or, better yet, where Bathory met The Sisters of Mercy. Following track “Spirit of the Lightning” makes me feel even more sure that my comparison isn’t that obnoxious or ridiculous. It kicks off really slow with more Gothic Rock elements to go in a crescendo with more Black Metal elements with much more in the middle.

I have to say that this kind of mix Wolves in the Throne Room do here pleases me a lot. Just the kind of musical contradiction I love to listen and have in my bands. I’m well aware that for Black Metal purists this is a sacrilege, however Black Metal is already a sacrilege, isn’t it? Following that reasoning “Primordial Arcana” is what it is, a sacrilege, and that’s very well put and reasonable.

Again, what an astonishing CD cover.

Wolves in the Throne Room “Primordial Arcana” will be released on August 20th via Relapse Records.

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