Review Summary: Wolves In The Throne Room shoe-gaze influenced Black Metal meets Sigh's genre bending tomfoolery
When it comes to the relatively new Black Metal sub genre influenced by shoe-gaze, the genre already seems to have some strong, established acts in its roster. There are "veteran" bands such as the Olympia based group Wolves In The Throne Room, or even to a lesser extent the French spawned Alcest, who have been holding on the genre since 2000. While these bands have already made great waves worldwide, the upcoming crop of shoe-gazed influenced Black Metal has already shown signs of having even potential. German based band Thränenkind released their amazing debut demo
Der Rest ist nur Einsamkeit last year, and this year brings us the exceptional first full length
Polis Rouge from oddball Slovakian band Remmirath. Throwing away any preconceived notions that certain qualities belong to certain genres,
Polis Rouge pulls out all the stops, never ceasing to surprise.
When it comes to
Polis Rouge one honestly has no idea what they might be in for next. While the songs mainly stay strongly rooted in Black Metal, the band has their own special way to throw in some unique twists and turns. While the song
A Little Trip To The Stars starts out as a raging Black Metal number, by the time the mid-section rolls around, the genre has flipped completely, becoming something much more akin to a Kansas record than Emperor. That's only one example on an album filled of all these quirky little transformations.
N.W.O. Neverland features some extremely groovy funk-bass work and the solo in
Replacing the Sun would not sound out of place in some 80's power balladry. While the majority of the transitions on this album flow nicely, unfortunately a few do seem a little out of place, delaying the momentum of parts in songs. Despite the many changes in genre in the course of the tracks, the album does feature its share of well played melodic Black Metal.
What Remains After Us is a prime example, with flowing melodic tremolo picked chords, double bass chops and an epic atmosphere to boot.
Instrumentally, the band does a fantastic job with their playing. Guitarists As and Hv are equally talented in playing all the genre's performed on the album from the black to classic metal seen.. Some songs their seen sporting more neo-classical type playing, while on others their blues inspired riffs and solos are just breathtakingly emotional, each note perfectly following the last. As isn't the only strength however, with bassist/vocalist Peter really taking the spotlight on the album. His vocals are raw, bursts of guttural fury, absolutely tearing the listener apart. They're fierce, extreme and perfectly fitting for the music. On the final song
Rainy Friday he uses his soaring clean vocals, reminiscent of voices popular during classic rock's heyday.
If there's one thing that could be said about the bass playing in Remmirath, it would be that its just as upfront and in your face as any other instrument on the album. While most extreme bands decide to bury the bass, Remmirath bring it right up front and use it to their advantage. Peter really brings the four-stringed instrument to life, playing it as more of a lead instrument than a rhythm. Each song sees the bass doing its own thing, not letting itself be constricted by the guitar or drum lines. The percussion on the album (courtesy of Zrzo) is probably the only thing that isn't stand out. That's not to say it's weak, because its actually quite solid, yet it just doesn't stand out like the other instruments.
Overall
Polis Rouge provides quite the intriguing listen. From their straight-forward Black Metal playing, to their unexpected 80's ballad break downs, one term that definitely describes the album is unpredictable. Luckily for the band, they have the prowess to make this unpredictability work in their favor, and its no doubt that their bizarre approach to making music will reach the headphones of young listeners of the world in only a short matter of time.
