This US band’s sixth album promises “extreme metal and polarising tension”. The essential framework, at least to start, is harsh reflective post metal recalling wildernesses and epic scenes. Large chords abound but the ferocious winds and indeed growls die down to make way for a quiet passage, before the scene builds up to a post metal crescendo. It does not get carried away however, and “Earthern Shroud” kicks in with a dreamy folk-like song. Melancholy now takes over the woozy acoustic air. A strange chant runs the now stoner atmosphere before an acoustic and harsher passage cuts in. It sounds a little like Astra with a rock edge. I struggled to make sense of this kaleidoscope of sounds, and wasn’t getting carried away by its deadening effect.

The bells sound. The eleven minute “Falcon White” gets under way. Again sleepy and patient, it trudges on, eventually powering up. Echoing growls are superimposed over the repetitive pattern. This pattern turns to psychedelic rock. Plodding and growling, suggesting heaviness and seeking majesty, on it goes. Doom is in the air. I wonder if this might be better live, as it trudges forward heavily. The varied guitar sounds have a progressive edge, but “Falcon White” just ends gloomily. I could not get drawn in. “Tenebrous Haze” continues the dreary and plunging dark tone with a slow and tortuous 70s style riff. The first three minutes seemed like years. If I was in a sunny mood before this began, I wasn’t now as this slow progression was inducing deeply depression. No amount of haunting choruses or ferocious was going to uplift my enthusiasm. The album finishes with a gloomy acoustic number, “Voices”. It dies a death with two minutes to go, before a patient and repetitious symphonic end accompanied by the patient drum thud, brings the proceedings to a despairingly melancholic close.

I found “Skadi” too heavy going for my liking. Each track seems to take a long time to say not so much. There are moments of haunting beauty in it but I wasn’t remotely attracted to the planet this came from, and all in all I found it rather pedestrian.

(5/10 Andrew Doherty)

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