Emerging from the mist is the ethereal presence of Oak Pantheon, a relatively new entity of sorrowful gloom and abject woe. The Minnesota duo of Sami Sati and Tanner Swenson has a penchant for all that is melancholic, but in that downtrodden mire you’ll find affecting beauty such is the dichotomy summoned by a lot of “sad” music. Residing in a vein similar to Agalloch, it definitely feels like the two bands are kindred spirits in some way. “From A Whisper”, the band’s first full-length record, meshes cold black metal rasps with lush neo-folk acoustics, meanwhile expansive riffs blossom on every track. Flowing beautifully and cohesively, this really is a record that takes you places.
“From A Whisper” unfurls like a grand, epic novel with the aptly titled “Descend Into Winter”. As summer is coming to an end, we’ll soon prepare for winter and Oak Pantheon conjure vast images of snow blanketed forests and the feeling of cold, biting winds rushing past your face, all the while being totally hypnotic and calmative. This is all just part of one rich tapestry that Oak Pantheon have only begun to weave.
Full review after the jump!
Expansive in every sense of the word, the band utilises a crystal clear production to give their key components, all heavily layered, room to breathe. Conversely, the air of “Descend Into Winter” and second track “It” is combated then by the gorgeous “We Will Tear Down The Gods” where the nine minute piece first seethes with beautiful acoustic passages, bringing that Agalloch comparison to life, only to die away for a barren mid-section and erupt again with captivating riffs. This formula works wonders with the band, particular so on the instrumental “The Ground Beneath You”. Once again opening with morose acoustics, sleek electric guitar flourishes eventually enter, simply building and building in tension until the riveting crescendo that once again… takes you places.
Meanwhile, faint Opeth-isms rumble underneath songs like the title track and the imposing album closer “An Altar of Limbs”, both offerings being so grand in scope and vision, emblematic of “From A Whisper” as a whole. This is a beautifully captivating record that passes by with ease, losing yourself in its reverie-like states. The band has built on the impressive statement that was year’s “The Void” EP, and they have really done themselves justice with a sublime full-length offering.
“From A Whisper” is released through Broken Limbs Recordings on September 25th.
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