Having consistently and intensely listened to 'Pale Folklore' on a multiple-times-weekly basis every year since first stumbling upon it, it's clear as day why the name 'Agalloch' spread like fire in a paper mill throughout the world of metal following the release of the album. 'Pale Folklore' is a fucking masterpiece and quite possibly the strongest debut I have ever heard.
I really don't know where to begin in describing just how brilliant this record is. Short of writing a 50-page essay I couldn't possibly even scratch the surface of the mammoth, intricate and astonishingly layered beast that is Agalloch. The band feature such a rich and adept level of aural refinement in their sound that it makes me wonder just what they were doing musically before Sculptured (a band formed in 1996 that features 3 Agalloch members) because it sounds like these guys have been playing for millennia.
The three-part opening track 'She Painted Fire Across The Skyline' had me hooked from the word 'go' and from there on in I was treated to an hour of musical brilliance. Those familiar with my writing will know that I'm not inclined to throw words like "Brilliant", "Breathtaking", and "Genius" around but aside from being entirely justified, there is simply no other way one can describe this record. The music the Portland trio have put together on this record is magic, truly outstanding.
The three instalments of 'She Painted Fire Across The Skyline' flow together fantastically and each features a very unique sound that more than justifies their being divided into separate songs, the only key similarities are revisited riffs which are more than welcome. 'Part 1' begins very atmospherically with a Doomy guitar riff weaving its way through howling wind sample accompanied by subtle bass lines which set the overall tone of the album with great effect. The track progresses into a much heavier affair as guitars take centre stage atop pounding drums, heavy vocals and deeply emotive guitarring whose mournful mood is spearheaded by beautifully delivered dual guitar track which are best described as sluggish melodic Black and Doom metal riffs. Despite barking vocals, intense riffing and heavy drum patterns the song completely retains its mournful mood thanks to softer interludes implemented with Opethian precision and the surprisingly sharp use of operatic female vocals.
'Part 2' commences as a much livelier affair and goes on to reveal subtle elements of Folk music. Lyrics are suicidally gloomy but the upbeat pace and some excellent technical riffs counteract the desolate lyrical content, taking away focus and almost disguising the depressive truth of the song by moving along at a much quicker pace than its predecessor. It's hard to get too caught up in the song or dwell on any one particular moment as it's over in just a third of the time 'Part 1' requires to run its course.
The final act of 'She Painted Fire Across The Skyline' is a great combination of all the elements of the first two segments, conveying a doomy tone but running in at a quicker pace and showing once again the noticeable folk influences present in the second track. It's pretty hard to mistake the grimness of the music of Agalloch. Their ability to combine melody with melancholy is truly remarkable and so much emotion is conveyed through time changes, progressive riffs, varied vocals and stroke-of-genius musical elements (such as the tolling bells which appear in the later part of the track) that this track is enough to put most respectable metal acts to shame. The truly awesome riff introduced in 'Part 1' returns in the final minutes of 'Part 3' making for a fantastic end to a brilliant three-part album introduction. Can it get any better? I certainly can.
'The Misshapen Steed' follows, commencing with elegantly played piano and works its way in to an emotion-packed, epic, touching, folk-flavoured piece of aural brilliance. With strong use of strings and wind instruments, the guitar, drum and vocal free instrumental provides a great interlude and is followed up superbly by 'Hallways Of Enchanted Ebony', another technically brilliant track showing hugely diverse influences and a level of musical proficiency you only come to expect from the absolute best of the best. It's quite baffling how Agalloch manage to create upbeat Doom tracks as the two styles are like oil and water, but hearing is believing and trust me, it's a marriage made in metal heaven.
Not to be overshadowed by the earlier tracks, the final three songs included on the 8-track album are as equally excellent in their structure, sound and execution as their precursors, making for a grand finish to a truly great album. From the unsettling piano that closes 'Dead Winter Days' to the devilishly infectious main riff of 'As Embers Dress The Sky', the well-placed acoustic interlude of said track which is followed up a truly triumphant finale of masterful riffing and vocals and finally the epic album closer 'The Melancholy Spirit' which clocks in at twelve-and-a-half-minutes, there's not a weak moment or track to be heard on 'Pale Folklore' be it at the beginning, the end of somewhere in the middle.
Throughout 'Pale Folklore' in the months that followed my first listening the one thing that really struck me was the brilliant musicianship of the band who have such an exceptionally refined sound that it's near impossible to fault them for a thing. The only possibly negative I can find about 'Pale Folklore' is that it's not the most accessible album but that's always the case with bands running along similarly unusual lines and quit frankly, if people don't quite 'get' the music, it's their.
'Pale Folklore' is a masterpiece. It's as simple as that. I have no doubt that I've played right through the album thousands upon thousands of times and I'm showing no signs of slowing down. The music hasn't lost an ounce of impact despite spending (quite literally) weeks on end repeating in my home CD player every waking (and sleeping) hour of the day.
Awe-inspiring. Simply brilliant. The end.
- Pyro
(See reviewer's scoring method)
