ALBUM REVIEW: Mossweaver – Old Growth
Considering the number of great atmospheric black metal acts that have put out music in the last decade or so, there’s very few new bands releasing music that is genuinely doing something different within the genre, let alone producing something that sticks in listeners minds. With many bands often emulating more established acts or just failing to do what they do effectively, it’s hard to think of a band that have formed in the last five years that have made an impact on the genre. Germany’s OLD GROWTH show a lot of promise with their sound and style, coupling a very melodic form of black metal with a few subtle, folky elements, with their debut album, Mossweaver, showing an almost fully formed, if slightly formulaic, take on the genre.
Old Growth provides a measured and ethereal start to the record, with sublime guitars and a steady pace setting the tone early on. This gives way at points to a fast, razor sharp sound as the track progresses, with the guitars maintaining their slick melodicism, and being counterpointed by the acidic vocals really well. It’s a great opener that ducks and weaves between harsher and more reserved moments incredibly well, grabbing the listeners attention immediately. Oakenheart is just as atmospheric and powerful as the album’s opener, with varied guitar work and authoritative drumming once again easing the listener into the song before descending into a far more vicious motif which couples chaotic hooks with hellish shrieks, giving this song a slightly gloomier feel that ensures it’s every bit as melancholic as it is monolithic. Red Clouds, much like the previous two, has a fantastic intro centred upon clean guitars, which shifts into a huge, grandiose blend of haunting melodies, shrill vocals and thunderous drums, punctuated by some more visceral flourishes throughout, all of which give this a catchy and cavernous sound.
The Seedling doesn’t deviate from the formula of beguiling intro followed by expansive mid-section and aggressive passages, with a couple of key differences that make this stand out; firstly, the faster shift between motifs, lending the song more urgency than its predecessors, and secondly, there’s some brilliant, memorable guitar hooks and a wider range of tones that elevate this song just a bit above the three that preceded it. Queen of the Woodland Realm eschews the sombre intros of earlier offerings, jumping straight into a vast piece of murky black metal with soaring leads and arid, animated vocals that contribute to the songs charm rather than getting buried down in the mix, as they have tended to up until this point. It’s a weighty slab of music with a few folky riffs that draw the listener back in.
Call of the Night Spirit, a brief interlude that blends acoustic guitars with a hazy atmosphere, acts as a great segue between this track and the albums final number, Altar of Wisdom. This seventh track, with its thicker, reverb drenched guitar sound, has a solid start, and launches into what is arguably the albums most visceral song, with frenetic drumming, jarring rhythms and rabid howls commanding the listeners attention. It still possesses the angelic, melodic leads that have defined this album, but the focus lies almost solely on the energy and primal nature of the music as a whole. It’s a magnificent change of pace that ends the album on one of its very best moments.
It’s rare for a band to have their sound almost fully formed with their very first release, but OLD GROWTH has managed to lay down some incredibly solid foundations with Mossweaver in a way that many bands don’t achieve until their second or third full length. This is all the more impressive considering that this music, which is often quite powerful and layered, was written and recorded by just one person. Although it often relies upon the same formula for the song-writing, and could be a little more adventurous and diverse with its hooks, it’s definitely one of the more memorable atmospheric black metal albums to come out in the last few years, and with a slightly more eclectic approach on future albums, they could become the first truly great band within the genres resurgence.
Rating: 8/10
Mossweaver is set for release February 5th via Supreme Chaos Records.
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