Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain

So I've finally decided to get up off my lazy arse (and sit back down) to write a review this year!  Hooray for the 
my HailMetal.com fanbase (if there is one).  I've been wanting to do an Agalloch review for a long time, years in fact.  Why?
Because they are probably the most refreshingly different band that heavy metal listeners enjoy. Primordial is the other 
candidate, but I think you have to take your hat off to Agalloch for this crown.

Agalloch fans, worldwide, have been waiting in agony since the release of "The Mantle" in 2002 to hear what else this
stunning band has to offer.  And really, I can summarise my thoughts on this album by saying, it was well worth the wait. But 
much like creating this captivating album, I found as a listener, it took me a while to appreciate properly. The same 
wholesome and natural sound resonates throughout the album, ever hopeful but always melancholic. However, the big difference
between this and their first two releases is that it is less subtle and more direct in sound, which to me suggests that if 
you are reading this review and are yet to hear Agalloch, I'd recommend "Ashes Against the Grain" as the entry level album to
familiarise one's self with.

In contrast to either "The Mantle" or "Pale Folklore", "Ashes Against the Grain" is less experimental.  It is more straight
forward, and concentrates more accutely on entwining lush melody and sorrowful mortality.  Lyrically Agalloch marries nature
in its primitive form, with man's emotive senses;

"Earth to flesh, flesh to wood, cast these limbs into the water
Flesh to wood, wood to stone, cast this stone into the water..."

Musically, for those unfamiliar with the band, accoustic guitars highlight neo-folk riffs, progressive rock influences and an
ultimately black metal-esque delivery of vocals.  The result being the harmonisation of bleakness, beauty and authenticity 
into yet another brilliant album from this entirely original band.

The stand-out track is definitely "Not Unlike the Waves", which I'm pretty sure the band hosts as a sampler on their 
website.  But if my review didn't make it obvious enough, it is far from a case of "the rose amongst the thorns", rather 
something more akin to "the rose amongst the tulips" for lack of a better phrase.

84%

Track Listing:
1. Limbs
2. Falling Snow
3. This White Mountain On Which You Will Die
4. Fire Above, Ice Below
5. Not Unlike The Waves
6. Our Fortress Is Burning... I
7. Our Fortress Is Burning... II - Bloodbirds
8. Our Fortress Is Burning... III - The Grain
 
www.agalloch.org/