Agalloch

Expectations are a bitch aren’t they" A band releases a stunning debut that blows everyone’s tits off. The pressure is on to top themselves. A band integrates modern post-rock into their melodic black metal sound and blows everyone’s tits off again, arguably topping themselves against all odds…

Finnish Neofolk / Ambient project NEST by Aslak Tolonen and Timo Saxell, well known far beyond the mentioned genres. Every connoisseur Agalloch, remembers beautiful split Agalloch / Nest from 2004 , which is literally killing its brevity, fans Skepticism likely heard interpretation «The Gallant Crow» from Nest. Aslak Tolonen had to take part in groups Shape Of Despair, Todesbonden, Tevana3, Tuonenpolku, Where Rivers End, and of course Syven, new main project by Aslak Tolonen.

Rising from the ashes of Agalloch and Giant Squid, a new group is born: Khôrada. Featuring former Agalloch members Don Anderson (guitar), Jason Walton (bass) and Aesop Dekker (drums) alongside ex-Giant Squid guitarist / vocalist Aaron John Gregory, Khôrada creates colossal, textured, and emotionally powerful music. As a completely fresh concept, Khôrada is an opportunity for the musicians to explore new soundscapes while challenging themselves creatively. With their debut album Salt, Khôrada forges breathtaking swathes of sound that swell, stretch, submerge and recede with panoramic power. At once atmospheric, aggressive and apocalyptic, the album's emotion is driven by the band members' view of today's world; these are precarious times.

It is inevitable to avoid comparisons with Opeth when talking about Novembre's music. Surely, the same qualities Opeth fans adore can be found in Novembre's music, Novembrine Waltz in particular. However, it would be rather ignorant to look up to this amazingly talented and overlooked Italian group as one of the countless Opeth followers. Novembre have been in it as long as the Swedes and were as much pioneers of the melodic, atmosphere kind of progressive death metal as the above-mentioned collective. If you are a fan of such groups as Anathema, Agalloch, early Opeth, this will quite possibly make the list of your best albums ever.