The Mist Bearer pt​.​II

Because this act with the curious name is (so far) an instrumental ambient BM project, the fact that its first full-length "The Mist Bearer" is joined by a younger and smaller sibling in EP format, "The Mist Bearer part II", I thought I'd give the title track of the album another spin to see if there was any continuity between it and the 2015 release. The older track is still a good listen with haunting choirs in the background to give the music the feel of an early morning pagan ritual being performed while frost still hangs heavy on trees and the grass is sodden with dew.

But in case you're wondering, no, there isn't much continuity between the two parts. Instead of clear-voiced choirs, we have gravelly BM vocal cries behind the music, definite tremolo squiggle guitar riffs and a slightly more melodic, even post-metal approach in the structure of the second part. There is still plenty of atmosphere but it's less easily definable and seems a bit generic to my jaundiced ears. In place of a ritual celebrating nature and paying homage to ancient spirits, we have a pleasant lilting acoustic mandolin melody that appears out of place in the aggressive music.

Second track "A Blood Red Sun sets on Wintry Shores" is an all-keyboard ambient affair of a repeating melody bedecked with atmospheric wash, echo and delicate tone embellishments. It's very relaxing and non-threatening but the repetition and lack of development ensure that listeners drift off on a sea of boredom rather than a sea of immersion.

For me this release doesn't do much to enhance ADODS' reputation in creative and original atmospheric BM soundtracks - it just coasts along in the wake of the album of the same name. The attempt to combine BM aggression and acoustic folk music is laudable but the melodic folk sits awkwardly with the rest of the title track. Still, there's enough good music in "Mist Bearer part 2" - the title track, that is - that it could be reworked into something more distinctively ADODS and less general post-BM in a later release.