Review Summary: Digging for gold
On paper, it makes perfect sense for Panopticon’s Austin Lunn to release a split album with Germany’s Waldgeflüster. Both bands share a profound work ethic, and they both play a similar style of barbaric black metal infused with serene folk passages and interludes. That being said, their first collaboration together is an enjoyable marriage of metal and folk, but it doesn’t always work as well as expected given the band’s similarities. When it works, it works astoundingly well, but it’s a release where one must comb through the thick layers to find the truly golden moments. Due to this, it can be slightly erratic when looked at as a single entity; the individual sections tell a rather different story, however. In fact, the highlights here reveal both bands at their most refined states, which allow the standout moments to shine vibrantly through the brief shortcomings.
Throughout the somewhat uneven split are moments of relentless intensity complemented by feelings of optimism and warmth. The overall mood conveyed here is believable and stirring, but the experience is somewhat depleted by a lack of consistency throughout the four tracks. Waldgeflüster have the arduous task of kicking off the release, and while the twelve-minute ‘Der Traumschander’ gets the job done, there’s a sense it never quite reaches the sky-high summit it was aiming for. It’s not a poor track by any means -- the violins are quite soothing when they creep through the murky layers -- but at times, it's lacking the innovation to warrant its runtime. Nevertheless, the improvements Waldgeflüster have made with their sound here are unmistakable. On the opening track, dreamlike blackgaze elements meld together with folk fragments to spawn a forceful wall of sound, whereas mellow guitar notes and pianos employ restraint on the serene neofolk-inspired cover of Panopticon’s ‘Norwegian Nights.’ Despite being held back by some minor imperfections, Waldgeflüster have taken a massive step in the right direction, and it’s hard to fault them in that regard. They still have a few steps to climb if they’re to reach that towering climax, but their work on this split finds them at mountainous new highs as a band.
On the other side of the playing field, Panopticon have added their own unique touch to this release. If the split has one discernable standout, it would be the powerful juggernaut that is ‘Håkan's Song.’ Anyone who’s familiar with Lunn’s work knows how much of a monstrosity he is behind the kit, and there’s no exception here. The track surges forward frantically while a wrathful barrage of guitars and pummeling drums stir up feelings of restlessness in the listener. The emotional heavy-hitter was conjured up as a dedication to Lunn’s son, and its fierce and powerful nature could very well mimic the intense love he has for his own flesh and blood. Not only that, it could readily be broken down into three enthralling parts: the breakneck opening, the eerie midsection, and the passionate conclusion.
Following the tranquil serenity of the track’s halfway-point, the ferocity comes soaring back as Lunn expresses his deepest desires for his son - “All that I hope for, is that music flows from your fingertips” or “to never discourage you” being just two examples of his yearning to be connected with his child. When hearing the various moods to the song, you can nearly visualize and experience Lunn’s adventure through life with his son – from the birth to the rewarding prospect of watching him grow in front of his very eyes. What’s more, the conglomeration of various moods here feels more like a culmination of everything Lunn has done in the past, rather than a bunch of leftover parts from the cutting-room-floor of
Autumn Eternal. If there’s a downside to Lunn’s contributions to this split, it would be the familiar banjo-heavy final track. It’s a nice enough song and acts as an appropriate breather following the emotional roller-coaster that is ‘Håkan's Song’, but it doesn’t exactly bring anything fresh to the table we haven’t already been served on past efforts.
Austin Lunn’s greatest asset has always lied in his ability to take firm values and translate them through his music; not only that, but with a level of sincerity few would dare replicate. Thankfully, his close companions in Waldgeflüster are able to match his unwaning enthusiasm on their first collaboration together. Really, it’s just a continuation of Lunn’s unstoppable output, as well as a giant leap forward for Waldgeflüster. Even with its blemishes, the wide spectrum of emotional undertones will breach through your mind’s most cynical barriers. Those seeking a steady assault of riffs and aggression will be instantly drawn to the album’s heavier sections, while polished folk leanings utilize a persuasive mood to tighten the grip on less-seasoned listeners. No matter how you look at it, it’s a release that rewards you for the time you spend with it; much like sifting for gold, the end result is more rewarding than the process.
