Mount Eerie
Wind's Poem


4.5
superb

Review

by rasputin USER (201 Reviews)
July 17th, 2009 | 397 replies


Release Date: 2009 | Tracklist

Review Summary: mount burzum.

When it was touted that Mount Eerie’s newest record would be a black metal album, dubious sentiments were certainly aroused. It’s completely understandable in regard to Phil Elverum, as he is arguably one of the most innovative independent musicians to be gracing our ears in recent times, but the way in which one could imagine Elverum to execute the Mount Eerie style in a black metal aesthetic would undoubtedly be plagued by problems.

First of all, who would it appeal to? One can be sure that if a black metal album was produced that actually adhered to the tenets of black metal, many established fans would snub their noses; on the other hand, fans of black metal, who are well known for snubbing their noses at almost everything, would disregard the record as something even remotely related to their esoteric sub-genre.

Nevertheless, it is safe to report that Mount Eerie have progressed in perhaps the most perfect manner; this ‘black metal’ element which was originally claimed is very subtle. My initial expectation of Elverum screeches fortunately turned out to be only a speculation, and what Wind’s Poem actually is as an album is the continuation and development of the raw sound greatly explored on the Black Wooden Ceiling Opening record.

Three distinct styles can be heard on this album. The first, of course, is this presumed black metal sound – essentially, this is characterized by a great deal of distortion and feedback, reverberating crashes often sounding dissonant and cacophonous. The opening track ‘Wind’s Dark Poem’ immediately introduces this style, which would not be unfamiliar to those well acquainted with Mount Eerie’s back catalogue. It’s rather comforting to hear that even with this supposed extremity in his music, the marked Elverum sound can be distinguished; the guitar hook found in the opener is extraordinarily reminiscent of Elverum’s earlier work, and his almost indecipherable mumbling over the tumultuous distortion invokes a certain feeling of loneliness that only he would be able to invoke.

The longest song on the record, ‘Through the Trees’, is suggestive of my purported second style, one which diversifies the album to the point where it comes off as arguably Mount Eerie’s best release. ‘Through the Trees’ features, for want of a better description, over eleven minutes of gentle organ hum. One can imagine how Elverum’s placid vocals would suit such an ambiance, and the juxtaposition that this style plays along with the aforementioned first style maintains the album’s viscosity as an enveloping composition.

And thirdly, what would an Elverum album be without its folky indie passages? ‘Between Two Mysteries’ has something of a jangly vibe in its execution, and although this manner of style can be clearly heard on [No Flashlight, there is still a sense of innovation. What isn’t new however, is Elverum’s conveyance of emotion. Every track on Wind’s Poem is emotionally raw, and the record ultimately combines all of the various styles in which Mount Eerie have previously explored, thus creating an all encompassing Mount Eerie technique.

The ways in which Elverum recalls his earlier work do the album no harm – musically speaking, ‘My Heart is Not at Peace’ features the remarkably solemn and heart drenching atmosphere that was abundant on Lost Wisdom, and in going with that theme, the inclusion of a ‘Lost Wisdom, Pt. 2’ as a successor to the original song on the aforementioned album is just good to see. As opposed to the first part’s acoustic composition, the second part delves into the dissonant style that Elverum has seemingly perfected, and is a fantastic precursor to ‘Stone’s Ode’, an eerie closer to what is perhaps the best Mount Eerie album, and if not for The Glow, Pt. 2, perhaps the best Elverum album.

The successes that Elverum has had with Mount Eerie, particularly with both of his 2008 releases, have been huge, but only in their diminutive stylistic constraints. Wind’s Poem, however, is a blend of all that we know as Elvrum, and is not only musically coherent, but poignant in all of its faculties.



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user ratings (349)
3.9
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
rasputin
July 17th 2009


14968 Comments


Responses to two of the sound-offs:

Cam: You said it baby.
Zippermouth: Don’t try to pass off opinions on styles of music you have no idea about.


rasputin
July 17th 2009


14968 Comments


thanks, yeah album rules

iranscam
July 17th 2009


469 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

completely forgot this came out. need to hear this badly

rasputin
July 17th 2009


14968 Comments


yes you do

gaslightanthem
July 17th 2009


5208 Comments


what's wrong with you

Tits McGee
July 17th 2009


1874 Comments


oh shit gotta dl this

fireaboveicebelow
July 17th 2009


6835 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

8|



mine



Edit: wow

jingledeath
July 17th 2009


7100 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I'm predicting that there is going to be an explosion in my pants when I listen to this.



Fantastic review as usual.

soundless
July 17th 2009


171 Comments


good review bro

Antiskum
July 17th 2009


17 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

good review



and great album, my favourite under the mount eerie name

negrodamus
July 17th 2009


17 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

ATTENTION ZIPPERMOUTH: Your username is a Slipknot reference. Enough said.



Album rules. It's like a folky Deathconsciousness.



Review is spot on as well.

Relinquished
July 17th 2009


48973 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Kinda figured rasp would do this album. Gotta get this badly though.

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
July 17th 2009


28180 Comments


i didnt really dig the glow pt. 2 that much for whatever reason

Transient
July 17th 2009


1520 Comments


Need this.

KILL
July 17th 2009


81580 Comments


i dont see no zippermouth

Burn2Burn
July 17th 2009


2374 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Where can I listen to something off of this album? His myspace, Last.Fm and youtube have nothing uploaded.

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
July 17th 2009


28180 Comments


"i dont see no zippermouth" soundoff

Waior
July 17th 2009


11778 Comments


i dont see no zippermouth


"Sounds like what would happen if Toby Driver and the guitarist of WITTR got together and wrote some medicore songs."

PuddlesPuddles
July 17th 2009


4798 Comments


Burn2Burn::

does this work?
http://www.amazon.com/Winds-Poem/dp/B002B4IES8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1247849127&sr=8-6

TricksterGRex
July 17th 2009


2087 Comments


Excellent review excellent album



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