Review Summary: "But my guests I leave behind me/ Listen to their words of wisdom/ Listen to the truth they tell you."
Thunder In The Mountains is a pivotal release for USA based Dzö-nga, despite the fact that the band’s third full-length shares little in the ways of innovating the music already drenching the scene. That’s not to sell Dzö-nga short as
Thunder In The Mountains brings a successful compositional front to a level of story-telling usually used as an afterthought within the genre. In this regard, Dzö-nga’s third studio effort is less “pretty” than its Saor or Falls of Rauros comparisons, but makes up for it in sheer musical accessibility. Put simply, there’s a lot here that promotes a “back to basics” or even “simple, done well” attitude that isn’t overblown in an effort to reach other-worldly lofty heights. Instead harrowing musicianship meets compositional restraint as Dzö-nga allows its newest tale to be told, one musical page after the other.
Despite the outward show of simplistic musicianship, there’s still a lot going on here. The album’s opening track (and main contextual lead) offers smooth acoustic passages instantly making way for the record’s clear folk influences without forgetting the aesthetics that drive its atmospheric black metal foundation. Even with this in mind, “The Song of Hiawatha” mars this short build up with plodding drum lines and less than stellar clean vocal lines (a hiccup with plenty of room to be forgiven as the album runs it’s natural course). But it’s the female croons that take centre stage and make everything worthwhile here. The track itself enjoys the simplicity of their placement, bolstered by an atmosphere which acts as the band’s musical safety net. At ten minutes, “The Song of Hiawatha” is a positive statement, acting as the album’s gateway. Despite the natural introspect of Dzö-nga’s,
Thunder In The Mountains, the album gets caught in moments of naval-gazing (much like the piano led introduction and without rhyme or reason guitar solo of “Heart Of Coal”).
By the time “Flames In The Sky” gallops into the fray, Dzö-nga’s,
Thunder In The Mountains is in full flight. Fairly, it’s this track that highlights the album as a whole; catapulting rhythms meet the group’s full vocal repertoire, contrasting the melody and folk-y lush tones with bracing metal shrieks and thick grooves. For a track so steeped in vintage black metal furor, it’s undeniably catchy; retaining both vocal hook and compositional integrity as it goes through the motions of memorable modern black metal. The lighter tones found in the album’s instrumental piece break the album’s occasionally “wall of sound” feel found in tracks like “A Soul To Burn” where every instrument and vocal nuance try for the limelight. Because of this, “Starlight, Moonlight Firelight” allows room for the record’s closing piece, “The Death of Minnehaha” to build off it’s atmosphere, rather than blend seamlessly into a cacophony of blast beats, shrieks and lush female leading croons.
While “The Song of Hiawatha” made the album’s opening themes clear, it’s “The Death of Minnehaha” that brings a wholesome close to Dzö-nga’s story-telling. It’s also the full-length’s longest track, giving both time and breathing room in regards to everything before it and as a whole brings that imperfect, yet honest value to the Dzö-nga brand. It’s here that a listener can fully appreciate the behind the scenes work of Øystein G. Brun and Dan Swanö who oversaw the production, mastering and mixing - allowing each component to shine, ebb and flow where each instrument needed to come forward or retreat for another element.
Like many acts before it, Dzö-nga take a story and tell it through a measure of compositional gradation, turning both page and chapter before it’s conclusion. But there’s still work to be done here as
Thunder In The Mountains exceeds in some, but not all areas. Sure, they’ve nailed the story-telling aspect that drives their folk-drenched black metal, but there’s still something to be said about throwing in elements for the sake of it. Whether that be an unwarranted solo, too many simultaneous vocal phrasings, or slightly underwhelming clean passage. That aside,
Thunder In The Mountains’s flaws are few and for the most part minor in nature. When the record’s quality is measured against the band’s compatriots (like those mentioned above) it falls short, but not by much.
Thunder In The Mountains’s slow-burn enjoyability however, is more than worth it to a casual listener.
