THE SYNN REPORT, PART 58: VINDENSÅNG

 THE SYNN REPORT  2 Responses »
May 282015
 


photo by Veleda Thorsson

 

(For the 58th edition of The Synn Report, Andy Synn reviews the discography of Vindensång.)

Recommended for fans of: Agalloch, Ulver, Altar of Plagues

I’m going to throw a bit of a curve-ball your way with this edition of The Synn Report, as we tack smoothly away from the brutal and the bombastic towards calmer, more atmospheric waters. And, yes, I know that’s a mixed metaphor. Just go with it.

Hailing from the dark and forbidding depths of… Pennsylvania (cue thunder and lightning), the Ambient/Post-Black/Neo-Folk triptych who operate under the moniker of Vindensång have so far produced two albums and one EP to their name, with last year’s phenomenal Alpha providing (in my humble opinion) one of the most compelling and captivating listening experiences of the year, exploring the depths of negative space and droning Post-Metal dynamics  in a truly unique and unforgettable manner.

Though large swathes of the band’s sound seems distinctly un-Metal, there remains something… something in the emotions they evoke and the sonic textures they create… that still feels intimately familiar, hinting at a strain of blackened marrow in the band’s soul, one which colours and shades every rippling acoustic passage and ambient bloom with a morose and desolate grace. Continue reading »

ALBUMS TO SURVIVE A LONG COLD WINTER TO

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  12 Responses »
Dec 092013
 

(Guest writer Alain Mower is back with recommended releases appropriate for the season.)

As prophesied in ice and fire, winter has come and – as pointed out in Ben’s guest article ”At the Heart of Winter” – with the change of seasons into the most dark and frostbitten of them all, in conjunction with the beginning of hunting list season, we need a little extra something to help offset the fact that we can’t just hibernate this season of stillness and death behind us.

Also, while undeniably a necessary part of any tried and trve vinter, I’m going to try and leave off the classics in favor of featuring some (relatively) modern releases that are more recently bidding for the throne of winter. It’s not that Immortal, Windir, and Ulver haven’t put out the most quintessential albums of the season, it’s just that some young wolves are just getting their first real taste of fresh blood, and they deserve some mentions too.

Also, not all the releases listed here are metal, but I will argue to the death that all of them are Winter. So, without further longwinded gusto, here are ten albums guaranteed to help you meet the heart of winter head on. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: VINDENSÅNG – “LIGHTS OF THE ABYSS”

 Premieres  11 Responses »
Nov 082013
 


(photo by Veleda Thorsson)

The best and the worst thing about life is that it’s full of surprises. When you need a bit of good fortune or at least a little stability, it delivers a car wreck and a shattered leg, as happened to a good friend yesterday. On the other hand, it delivers, on the same day, a brilliant new song from a band you last wrote about more than two years ago in a post that still holds the record for the fewest words ever written on this site about music.

More than two years ago I featured a song by a band from Pennsylvania named Vindensång from their 2008 debut album Terminus: Rebirth in Eight Parts, and introduced it with the word “THIS”. Now, the same band have a new album named Alpha, which they plan to release on February 4, 2014, and which will be a musical sequel to Terminus. And what we bring you today is the intergalactic premiere of one of the new album tracks, “Lights of the Abyss”. Continue reading »