Woland – Hyperion
22nd February 2014Up next for me to review is Finnish “post black metal” (whatever that means) band WOLAND debut album ‘Hyperion‘. I loved black metal with a diehard passion when I was younger (1995-2000) and was actually narrow minded…!!! (If it wasn’t black, death or grind I hated it). However in the time I liked black metal it had gotten a little stale until ACTURUS released “La Masquerade Infernale” in 1997 which revolutionised black metal. It then went a little out there before the majority of bands reverted back to the old familiar formula! However Other albums that’s totally changed black metal are ULVER ‘Themes from Williams Blakes…‘ and then DODHEIMSGARD outstanding album ‘666 International‘ Might have been albums afterwards but at the time the were genre changing releases! To the list of great albums above you can now add WOLAND ‘Hyperion‘…!!!
What makes this album so good is the twist and turns it take the listener on and hooks you all the while. This is black metal at its original form for a long time. The purist will hate it (as I would have done all them years ago) as their is no corpse paint in sight, church burning or anti-Christian lyrics! What you are presented with is a thought provoking black metal album that grasps you in its cold grip and doesn’t let go until the final death chime! WOLAND hungry rhythms stalk the listener like a wolf hunting it’s next prey. The riffs are caustic yet beautiful at the same time and entwine their luring tones onto the imagination of the listener. The alluring keys emerge from the darken shadows to entice and immerse. The heavy dark raspy vocals add the finishing touches to the masterpieces that WOLAND have created.
WOLAND use all the tools at their disposal to create 8 dark somber haunting tracks. Everything melds together so effortlessly and the flamenco guitar on ‘Living Water’ should sound out of place but melts into the song beautifully before the sonic assault continues. The instrumental track ‘Honey in the Lion’ is a majestic piano track hauntingly played, however it seems a little out of place so late on in the album. The stand out track of the album is ‘None’ which is the piece de resistance of the album with its beautiful sonic tsunami attack on the listener. The album finishes with ‘Elevated Existence’ and ‘Hyperion‘ seems to go full circle and ‘Conquer All’ could easily follow on from this track and makes you listen to the whole album over again
This is how extreme metal is meant to be, it isn’t how many BPM you cram in or how anti-social your lyrics are or grotesque you can be! This is dark, brooding, hateful soul filled music! This is extreme and WOLAND are definitely one to look out for in the future…!!!
SCORE – 9
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ALBUM INFO
1… Conquer All
2… Art of Ascension
3… Living Water
4… None
5… Extacy and Rapture
6… Honey In The Lion
7… Live Forever
8… Elevated Existence
LABEL
Indie Recordings
RELEASE DATE
17th February 2014
