To say that the music of Wolves in the Throne Room is anything less than epic is to not give the band quite enough credit. “Face in a Night Time Mirror Part 2” is a furious track that seems to work in a number of different contexts at the same time. There are hints of both black and death metal even as some of the movements really seem to be taken from a progressive metal context. The band has a set of vocals that move beyond simply screaming out vocals; there are quite a few times during the entirety of this disc where they move into an instrumental form.

Having different movements in each of the disc’s four tracks really allows for the band to increase their palette to incorporate all of their influence, no matter how “hard” or “intense” they may be. Each of the tracks on “Diadem of 12 Stars” are the equivalent of a birth, with different periods of highs and lows, crying and screaming all rolled into one experience. While there are distinct differences during each of the tracks on “Diadem of 12 Stars”, there are some base lines that really are common to all of the band’s music.

Throwing a female voice in for “Face in a Night Time Mirror Part 1”, Wolves in the Throne Room really pander to their goth influences, albeit in a way that is still kosher with all of the tenets of death metal. “(A Shimmering Radiance) Diadem of 12 Stars” seems to be a paradox; the noise created by the different parts of the band is not clear, but is rather muddy and murky. The effect is slightly different than the rest of the tracks, as this different attitude towards cohesion gives individuals a completely different feel for the band than the previous tracks on the disc gave. Over an hour of music awaits listeners; one should bring a comfortable chair and a nice thick set of headphones as the depth of each composition on “Diadem of 12 Stars” is extraordinary. What sounds like a noisy conglomeration of tracks is in reality a clear-headed and hard-hitting set of tracks that Wolves in the Throne Room, as talent musicians are able to use as they wish. This band is not out of the old country, but rather the Pacific Northwest; with this entry into the scene, America is one step closer to being comparable in terms of good metal acts.

Top Track: Face in a Night Time Mirror Part 1

Rating: 6.7/10

[JMcQ]