By John Bedard
I am not sure I can do this album justice as there is more here than can be easily digested in the few days we have to listen before writing a review. There is so much depth to what is presented I feel like I could sit here analyzing it for years and still not be sure I had discovered everything the artists are trying to express. I would say this album is more of an experience than anything else. It is so much bigger than what I expected and in many ways it somewhat overwhelming. With the theme being a tour through the solar system, this overwhelming feeling is probably exactly what they are going for.
For atmospheric black metal, there were a lot more vocals than I was expecting. Usually with any atmospheric style vocals are a background component if present at all but here the vocals are a lot more present. This is because there is very much a story being told. Each track has that very deep gargled growl that we expect from the genre. It is wonderfully executed, however it does make listening for comprehension take time, so I was very happy they included the lyrics in my press kit. Unfortunately, I am still lost. At face value, each song is a story about one of the planets or the planet’s name sake, but there is clearly something more. For example, the planets are out of order in the track list and I am not sure why. I’m not totally familiar with the mythology that the planet names are taken from so it is probable that there are answers there. To boil it down I think that there is a lot here that is not immediately obvious and is probably worth it to hunt for the deeper meanings.
Musically things are pretty much what you would expect in the genre. Relatively slow moments with quickly repeated notes over aggressive drums. This makes for something that has that cerebral space epic sound that fits perfectly with the content of the album. I realize that is not the most descriptive statement I have ever made but when you hear it you will know what I am talking about. For the most part, it is very well done however there were just a couple times where it got a little high pitched for my taste but not enough to ruin the experience.
In the end, this album will not be for everyone. It is probably best for the deep thinker. Someone that really wants to dig into the meaning, or for fans of atmospheric black metal at large it is a wonderful example from the genre, and I think you will love what you hear. All that being said though even if it is not your style of music, I think it is a worthwhile experience to have. I would say give it a chance.
- ‘Wanderers: Astrology Of The Nine’ is released this Friday (13 March). You can get your copy HERE.
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