AGALLOCH STOKE THE “MIDWINTER FIRES” WITH ANOTHER NEW SONG

Lost in the fracas that surrounded the new Agalloch song released on Friday was the fact that there were actually two new Agalloch songs released! The second, “Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires,” is streaming at Viva Hate Records’ website, and like “The Watcher’s Monolith” it’s epic. Epic epic epic. We know Agalloch are epic… maybe it’s time for another descriptor?

I like Brandon Stosuy of Stereogum’s description of Agalloch’s music as a whole: “nature-inspired dark metal.” It just hits the nail on the head; if you’ve ever read any interviews with the band members (like the one Brandon conducted with John Haughm) you’re aware of the role nature plays in their lives and their music, and “dark metal” really captures their all-encompassing, micro-genre-busting sound perfectly. Epic nature-inspired dark metal? OK, I’ll give that a pass.

Check out “Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires” at Viva Hate Records. Like “The Watcher’s Monolith” it’s long, but at 9+ minutes it’s on the short side for Marrow of the Spirit which will come out November 23rd on Profound Lore:

01 “They Escaped The Weight Of Darkness” (3:41)
02 “Into The Painted Grey” (12:25)
03 “The Watcher’s Monolith” (11:46)
04 “Black Lake Nidstång” (17:34)
05 “Ghosts Of The Midwinter Fires” (9:40)
06 “To Drown” (10:27)

Epic.

-VN