Agalloch - The Mantle (2002) #Review

Hi friends, how are you? Pleasantly in this opportunity, I am going to present you another album more than agalloch, that as many already have to notice is one of my favorite bands, and it is for everything, its music, its aesthetics, its nature and its lyrics, all these elements Together they convey a great peace, and all thanks to Agalloch. On the last occasion he recommended "Ashes Against The Grain", a more recent album that I will recommend now. As I mention on this occasion I will present "The Mantle", a very folk album according to my point of view.

In this album no doubt agalloch managed to show us true feelings in his music, with its bases between the metal doom and a few touches of black metal, and also incorporated neofolk sounds and even post rock. Post rock style with effect jam session. Although my favorite is the one that reviews first, this is undoubtedly a much more dynamic record, due to the incorporation of some instruments and the perfect environmental touches that agalloch adds. Always your music will make you travel, for cold, sadness and melancholy. His music is undoubtedly impressive.

This album opens with an impressive song, with a very epic beginning from one moment to another, and this one is called "A Celebration for the Death of Man ..." song that immediately shows us everything that agalloch wants to transmit in this album , loaded with folk elements of doom and black metal. Then we went to "In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion" which are 14 epic minutes, where the band experiences fascinating sounds between folk and black metal. With some totally folkloric moments, to then jump to strong moments. The minute 3:55 makes my hair stand on end, an impressive voice. The third theme is called "Odal", very folkloric and environmental from the beginning. An environmental and instrumental development.

The following one, "I Am the Wooden Doors" is a subject a little more animated, with a sound very folk metal but without so many adornments and accompanied by classic guitars. We jump to another beautiful instrumental cut, second on the record, and it's called "The Lodge", which is a beautiful and hypnotic landscape, with a very minimalist touch, following the sounds of the first theme. The next song is "You Were But a Ghost in My Arms", which starts with a very interesting sound. It is a very folk song with some very black sounds, similar to what Alcest once showed us, one of the best songs of the album without a doubt.

We went to the third instrumental section of the album, titled "The Hawthorne Passage", which many will believe to be boring, since they are 11 minutes totally instrumental, but it is not so, it is not as environmental as they think, it has some elements like long rhythms and a base something pop, for the sound of the keyboards, a very interesting topic. We went to a great moment in the album, totally epic, the best song for me of the album, and it is titled "... And the Great Cold Death of the Earth", with really doom airs, folk and its touches with classical guitar. The electric riffs appear at the right time to delight us, beautiful contrasts. Finally the album closes with "A Desolation Song", what better song to finish this work than with this piece of folk metal, with a rather melancholic beginning that makes you travel to medieval times, reminds me a bit of a game of thrones haha with a pretty hypnotic air.

Although for likes I prefer "Ashes Against the Grain", which came out 4 years after this album. The Mantle is also impressive and shows us everything that was once able to perform agalloch, we left this beautiful music for life. A really careful album in all the details, both the experimentations, the passages and even the graphic design and the aesthetics is fascinating. Without a doubt this album has sounds that I will never forget in my life.