:Tahoma:

Having known Alda since their days in Satus, back when they started as a depressive bm project, I find it inspiring to see the development they have gone through, from rock oriented black metal with heathen inspirations to this deeply spiritual music which still shows the roots of their sound developed some years ago.

To those who do not know who Alda is, they formed a few years ago out of the ashes of Satus, a black metal project begun as a depressive, raw bm band that slowly developed into heathen oriented bm with rock influences (their last release was a split ep done with my bm project Taliesin). A few years went past (around three) and their 2009 demo was released. A short demo displaying their songwriting talents despite a rough production. Their first album Alda was released which proceeded to develop their sound, and had a very clean production that showed their talents more effectively (a friend of mine said it sounded as if they were bleeding for the Earth whilst recording the album, which is quite the truth in regards to the feeling on it).

And now there is :Tahoma:, which is a the name that the Natives gave Mount Rainier (the mountain that is visible all around Seattle and even to Tacoma if I remember correctly). I believe the word means something like great mother, essentially the idea was that the mountain was the mother that gave birth to the people who lived there before us white man stole it from them.

Occupying the musical framework, we find Alda creating an interesting mix between strongly neo-folk sections and strongly black metal sections. The black metal elements display an originality that only in ways has connections to the general trends within the Cascadian BM scene (i.e. bands like Skagos, Wolves In the Throne Room, Fauna, Leech, etc.). Though they have many aspects that are similar (long song lengths, acoustic sections, nature oriented atavistic ideology, etc.) they are moreso influenced by older black metal bands giving them a sound that is more rooted in traditional bm elements. They then unite it all with an ideology set on returning to an older, perhaps purer lifestyle. In this, like Fauna, they are attempting to do so in action as well as in art, which sets them apart from many internet warriors out there (and those pretend warriors like Wolves, who talk a big talk but lie a big lie as well).

What this means musically is that older bm elements are stronger upon this recording then the post-rock influenced realm of modern black metal. Thus we find the epic song lengths and tendency towards minimalistic song structures united with strongly melodic passages straight out of a Norsk bm record. Also thrown in are some aspects drawn from Drudkh and similar bands who have a nature oriented, Nationalistic orientation. But then imagine the Nationalistic aspects being a strong ideological identification with the Native Americans, and we have something close to what Alda achieves (I won't give away exactly how all this works out for that would ruin the fun).

Thus we have a music that takes from a framework of strong nature oriented aspects, an underground DIY ethic, a bit of runic Norse feeling, mixed with Native American spirituality. In essence a new amalgamation of influences for black metal, and something that brings a strong sense of originality to this listener. Also it must be stated that the strong neo-folk elements are nice, for they show a true understanding of neo-folk and black metal, similar to the methods used by projects like Agalloch or Empyrium.

A monumental release in my opinion, that very few seem to know anything about. Although I enjoyed the newest Wolves In the Throne Room album, I must say forget about that and check Alda out. Both this album and the previous self titled are essential releases for the new world of American bm. What that album laid the groundwork for, this one continues and perfects to create a masterwork. With any luck the next one will be even better.