Among other things this US based quintet’s 4th album looks at the ever-increasing possibility of our planet’s destruction along with “shattered illusions and longing for the numbing comfort of death.” Yay happy music time. Seriously though it’s not worth getting too down in the dumps as for the next hour or so you are going to be too busy immersed in the various styles flung out by the group who have more than one string to their bow and indeed have a bow to boot as well.

The Sky Father that is ‘Oxalá’ doesn’t so much bring the wind as a full-blown gale as we rip into the first number and tumble around in the midst of its stormy passages. It like many of the songs here is long and complex and goes well beyond the construct of the blackened folk tag that the group are renowned for. There’s a strong symphonic influence that serves as an intro within the song itself and spreads through the pumping dervish which has a mad dash about it once things get truly going. One thing that is intrinsic here and will be an essential component to your enjoyment is the violin which billows away on this journey matching the fluid guitar licks. It keeps vocalist Valček doubly busy as he ‘waltzes’ these parts along with guttural growls and rasps and adds many of the folkloric elements to the music although not at the expense of flurries of extremity. Amidst the heathen sounding bravado there are some clean backing choral parts and there’s no shortage of things to concentrate on as the album progresses. Before you know it and without any in-between gap, we are in the midst of second number Depletion, busy headbanging away and air-fiddling like fury. It’s incredibly melodic stuff and the group are all going for it furiously giving the very devil its dues. There’s some histrionic guitar parts and frantic drumming, everything somehow keeping time and incredibly well-coordinated. Pacing is however measured and a downing of tools along with a slow mournful guitar strum brings respite and atmosphere to the table progressing into a patch of what can only really be described as unexpected progressive rock. I certainly wasn’t expecting this on 1st listen but subsequently find myself waiting for it to take me to a momentary lapse of reason!

Like nature itself there is much hostility but also occasional calm moments, both combine as we descend ‘Into The Mist’ and wild cries howl through the barren landscape. At full flow the urgency here is quite devastating and its now more of a tornado ripping through things although shelter will sometimes be at hand. At the midway mark ‘Astral Tears’ proves to be really catchy and an immediate number, due to its more compact running time it is probably the best number to get a quick fix on and it’s guaranteed to get under the skin. Always keeping you on your toes, others are lengthy and complex, there’s even a splash of bagpipes giving things a quick heather-scented hue and suddenly transporting the listener to the glens and lochs.

Not only was this my first encounter with New Jersey outfit Windfaerer but it had also clung to the review list tenaciously without being picked up and was basically the last of many August releases to do so. I’m glad it didn’t get overlooked as this was indeed a breath of fresh rather than old air and despite subject matter picked me up and proved to be actually far from an unhappy but a rousing listening experience. Further exploration of this lot is necessary…

(8/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/windfaerer

https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/breaths-of-elder-dawns