Torch of Our Final Night

Woman is the Earth is the latest band carrying the proverbial (and in this case literal) torch of the Cascadian/dreamy/gazing black metal scene, and a band that is doing so excellently and with a new element: and incredibly warm and dense production. The thing about Torch of Our Final Night is that it strips away the coldness, the distance, the almost ethereal quality of a lot of these releases and replaces it with a more fitting earthy production. The sound isn't so cavernous, but mossy, grassy, and it's dreamlike moments are still heft with a sense of purpose and joyfully rich tones.

The songs are all structured similarly, with sweeping melodies, drowned vocals that echo over the surprisingly aggressive drumming, and acoustic/clean interludes that punctuate the heavier blasting tremolo sections. One listen to the opening "real" track - "Brother of Black Smoke" will summarize the listening experience excellently - it's blasting sections remain incredibly evocative, with major chords blending seamlessly with powerful, but distant vocals of both the traditional black metal screaming and a low growl. Unlike Deafheaven, of Wolves in the Throne Room, Woman is the Earth really, and excellently, places focus on the aggression of the music - even in the fugue state of their songs (like the Pink Floyd solo at the and of "Brother"), there is a sense of pulsing, driving force.

The non-tremolo riffs are often reminiscent of mid-era Rotting Christ, where there is a melancholic, but warm sound to them. Memorable melodies will dance above the drumming while the vocals will sit back seat. "Broken Hands" has a lot of these moments, and almost a pagan black metal feel to it, with folksy melodies and really excellently placed breakdowns. The most traditionally black metal song on these album is the title track - a tremolo and synth and howl filled epic that unfolds so neatly, without any force, into this grand statement of a song. It's absolutely gigantic, with an atmosphere that is truly apocalyptic - really capturing the sense that it is our final night here. There's such a great sense of pacing, and the solo is absolutely mind blowing - a psychedelic break slowly floating over synthetic choirs and a pounding drum delivery and when the guitars kick back in with a blasting section is a huge, crushing moment.

The atmosphere of this album cannot be undersold - as I mentioned before, the aggression is a key aspect, but so are the traditional black metal element. Unlike so many of these bands, Woman is the Earth keeps so many elements from the original genre all the while introducing new sounds. In a way, it reminds me of Panopticon and the way Austin weaves in all of his influences while remaining definitely black metal. There's a sense of history all the while pushing the genre forward. It's not challenging, the album itself is less than forty minutes, the songs never overstay their welcome, and the band doesn't revel in their solos and "dreamlike" nature, and the albums ends on such a high point of emotional delivery, that by the time it's done, you just want to listen again. All in all, a memorable, rewarding, and actually enjoyable experience.