Wodensthrone - Curse   

Beautiful and richly textured

If you were to take the best parts of Negură Bunget and Wolves in the Throne Room (sans the latter’s off-putting arrogance) and mix in a sweeping, engrossing, and highly consistent atmosphere, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Britain’s Wodensthrone on their sophomore release, Curse, which is an album that is utterly brimming with the most captivating of feels.

There is a lot to like about Curse but one thing in particular that has kept me coming back time and time again is the evocative atmosphere the band has crafted and nurtured throughout the album’s 70 minute running time. The textural palette they have chosen is, in fairness, not that dissimilar to those utilised by the aforementioned bands but I have found the picture that Wodensthrone has painted to be more vivid, rich, and welcoming than that of their contemporaries. These eight tracks are all smaller parts of a much larger narrative and, while individually enjoyable, really do work best when taken en masse due to the images of nature they collectively impart.

There’s a feeling of ease and effortless flow to the music on Curse that works on a couple of very important levels. The most obvious of these is that it is clear that the band has primarily focussed on crafting material that is melodic and engaging (which can never be a bad thing) and their preference for distinct, clearly defined riffs has done wonders for them in achieving that goal but the other flow-on effect is that this airy and laid back approach to the song-writing is the direct cause for the expansive atmosphere that runs so pervasively throughout the album. What we end up with is a collection of memorable songs (as opposed to just memorable riffs) and a welcoming feeling of consistency for ourselves as listeners which is also coupled with a reassuring impression of pure vision and clear intent from the band.

In spite of the strength of the song-writing and the feel the band has been able to conjure, I think it unlikely that either of these things would have been anywhere near as strong if it weren’t for the stellar production the album enjoys. The sound is crisp and each of the instruments are afforded their fair share of the spotlight but there is also just enough murkiness to allow a foggy cloud to settle atop, further emphasising the feeling of being surrounded by a vast and richly diverse nature scene (at the risk of sounding like an utter twat). The sound is delicate though powerful, understated though ever-present – it truly is as important a player as the music itself.

As someone who hasn’t been all that excited by a lot of modern black metal for a while now, an album like Curse has demonstrated to me that there is still excellent material out there to be found and that the genre isn’t anywhere near as bland as the past few years have suggested. This is one of those albums that might just rekindle the fire within me that has been lying dormant for far too long.

(Candlelight Records)

Added: May 8th 2012
Reviewer: Michael O'Brien
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