October Falls - A Collapse of Faith (2010)

October Falls is superbly done nature-laden black metal, with roaring orchestrations making you feel as if you've communed with Satan to leave your mortal shell behind and become the spirit of a bird of prey, swooping above grand mountain ranges and sprawling forests. The vocals are pretty much perfect, winding about with the fury of the guitar and some very well-done acoustic additions. The album is comprised of three sections of one song titled "A Collapse of Faith," the first two nearing twenty minutes and the piece de resistance at five and a half minutes.

The sounds of falling rain caress your senses throughout, a beautiful backdrop to the relatively simplistic, yet gorgeous musicianship. This is an album that could have went for the selfsame raw and tinny production, but every instrument is clear amongst its counterparts. I can't say this album does much new, but October Falls isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, and nor should they. It's folksy black metal done right, and I enjoyed every second of it.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

October Falls - The Womb of Primordial Nature (2008)

Finland's October Falls have been going for a good bit now, albeit more or less outside the realm of metal. Mikko's sublimely simple blend of acoustic and piano folk melodies stood alone until last year's The Streams of the End, which marked the first substantial move into black metal. This ep had a pleasant style, sounding more or less as one would expect but not going much further.

The Womb of Primordial Nature was a bit of a surprise for me. Not only does it refine the sound of the ep with a clearer sound that allows the folk elements to shine through, but it also upped the intensity. Are you sick of every folked-up black metal release being described as epic? Well, stop reading, because there's really no way around it - the sound here is goddamn epic. From the bright, soaring guitars to the pounding immediacy of the drums, I find myself holding my breath as I get caught up in it all. Mikko's vocals could be described as monotonous, yet they're placed strategically throughout the songs so as not to wear out their welcome.

Rather a success, wot! Managing to preserve and imbue the classic folk tranquility in such a whirling piece of black metal is something that October Falls have pulled off with aplomb. You could fault the album for being too short (a complaint common to all of his releases), but I find that it keeps the album fresh and ready for relistening, and I don't have a problem with that.

Verdict: Epic Win [5/5]

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