Review Summary: A blaze in the western sky
Giving an album the title
American Gothic sets expectations high - it’s the type of phrase which inherently suggests an epic release the listener won’t soon forget. Fortunately, Colorado’s Wayfarer have delivered, providing us with one of this year’s finest records.
You’ll hear this album described in a number of ways, some more succinct than others, but the essential point is that
American Gothic represents a fusion of extreme metal with country/Americana elements (try that in a small town). I have a bit of experience with this emerging micro-genre, and my general response has been “well, that was a bit better than anticipated” - in short, the whole premise is a weird idea which can often lead to positive results, but I’ve yet to be blown away. Turns out, there’s a first time for everything.
The impressiveness of
American Gothic can be boiled down to three key points. First, Wayfarer have tastefully blended a triumvirate of styles into a single compelling package - the genres in question being (mostly mid-tempo) black metal, ominous post-metal, and dusty country/western (indeed, both kinds of music). Second, the structure and pacing of this album is immaculate - longer, heavier tracks at the beginning and end, a middle stretch encompassing the absolute riff-fest which is “To Enter My House Justified” alongside atmospheric shorter cuts like “A High Plains Eulogy” and “1934”, and a runtime of around forty-four minutes across eight tracks, which proves perfect for the material. Third, this album doesn’t feel like a novelty at all - yes, this might be “cowboy metal” or whatever you’d like to call it, but the mood and vibes are utterly convincing, with the results seeming more like a captivatingly gnarled and grim narration than a "what if we..." musical experiment.
While every single tune on
American Gothic has something of notable merit about it, my personal top three picks would be “To Enter My House Justified”, “A High Plains Eulogy”, and “Black Plumes Over God’s Country”. The first of these is a balls-to-the-wall metal slapper, the second a genuinely gorgeous and melancholic respite from the album’s heavier tendencies, and the third a perfect representation of the album’s distinctive vision. The bottom line is that there’s something for nearly all inquisitive music fans in this supremely well-crafted and intriguing record. Anyway, that’s enough readin’, partner, I hear there’s gold in them hills.
