I was really excited about this album when it was first coming out because I had just learned to really love The Mantle which was one of my favorite metal records of all time. I mean, this was coming out when that album really just clicked with me so how could I not be excited? Agalloch was going to amaze me again!
Well, they didn't really, but that's ok because this album is still pretty great despite being a real step down from The Mantle. There are no passages that really grabbed my attention but the album as a whole is perhaps much more consistent and exploratory. It delves into a much more metal territory than I had even heard the band go and I think that's part of it's charm. It's not stunning but it is indeed an enjoyable listen and that can't be denied.
The clearly stand-out track is the fourth one, Black Lake Nidstang which is Agalloch's folky black metal taken to places it previously has not been. This track, in essence, is what the album as a whole is trying to achieve. The rest of the tracks are basically on par with perhaps the exception of the final one which is part of the reason the record is a bit less exciting, it does not really end the album in a way I would like it to. Nonetheless, it's not a bad track at all.
For fans of Agalloch, definitely, but don't expect another The Mantle-esque record.