Sunday, September 25, 2011

Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage (2011)

I'm so easily turned off by black metal, and it's been mostly because of the lyrics. Whether I agree or disagree with their subject matter is of no consequence, the lyrics themselves are so often on the 5th grade reading level, that I feel like I'm hacking and slashing at my I.Q. by listening. As for musicianship, I can get the same style and technique in countless other places, so I have no reason to listen to this particular genre. With the release of their fourth studio album, Olympia's Wolves in the Throne Room delivers something nobody saw coming: A refreshing black metal record. Two of Celestial Lineage's seven tracks are instrumental, and the tracks with lyrics actually bring something different to the table. This record doesn't redeem the genre as a whole, but it finally gives the listener something worth listening to.

For fans of: Asunder, Dystopia, Fauna