Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial Arcana (2021)Release ID: 30179
I’m a little surprised I haven’t talked about Wolves In The Throne Room proper yet. Many of my black metal preferences (Agalloch, Saor, Blut Aus Nord, etc.) have similar fan bases with this band. They are a long running atmo-black band out of Washington and are mostly known for their 2007 record Two Hunters, which is mostly known for its focus on nature through the soaring riffage and melodies, to go along with some long song structures and forms.
The newest album, Primordial Arcana, has more tracks than previous WITTR albums, but compliments it by having typically shorter runtimes. Already I can tell that this album is an easier sell as shorter runtimes mean less opportunity for the band to fall into meandering interludes, and that is certainly the case here. Songs like “Mountain Magick” and “Through Eternal Fields” sound massive and do not feel like they are getting stuck behind a proverbial wall as they wait for the next section to commence.
And while Wolves In The Throne Room continue their run of adding more ambience and perhaps dungeon synth into their work, the sections that can fully described as “black metal” are trimmed down further than ever before. I feel like “Primal Chasm (Gift of Fire)” does most of this records “heavy” lifting, but the rest of it feels ethereal in a way and the blast beats that conclude “Through Eternal Fields” are more complimentary to the main guitar riffs that bring that song to its conclusion.
Beyond that, I don’t think that Primordial Arcana is a bad album; it has everything that you could ever want from a shorter, more concise WITTR album. The problem? I have heard this same formula echoed by many other atmo-black bands in recent years with shorter runtimes, while still explosive black metal passages. Whether that be the old guard with Blut Aus Nord, or newer bands like The Great Old Ones. This sound should not be unfamiliar with those who are well diverse in the atmospheric black metal scene in 2021.
In a week that has saw me spend many pleasurable hours with the latest Panopticon album it seemed logical to stay on my atmo-black theme (albeit Panopticon has strayed from that path somewhat) and pick up the latest offering from WITTR. Straight away though this album sounds and feels very different and I guess in a way, having spent time with a clear runner for AOTY Primordial Arcana has a lot to live up to. This review is not written with the intent for it to be a comparison of those two records, however I cannot deny that hearing ...And Again Into the Light has certainly influenced my listening experience of this record.
Known for their expansive and atmospheric soundscapes, WITTR have taken a more direct approach this time. It sounds like there is an effort to be more accessible this time and a lot of the riffs play like straight up metal riffs at times. The textures are still there, just hidden a more forward sounding metal front to add grit to the WITTR sound. I will go on record as saying this works. Primordial Arcana is an enjoyable record for sure, but that is as excited as I can get with it. The adoption of a more robust edge whilst retaining the more familiar aspects of the bands established sound sort of leaves them in a bit of a no-mans land.
With the acknowledgment that they have not made a bad record by any means, what the record really lacks is any sense of dynamics. Overall it just comes across as really flat sounding like we are not really sure which element is taking precedent on the album and so both the harder edge metal and the atmospherics both sit back a little in the hope that the other one will take the lead, resulting in neither really establishing themselves and taking ownership of the album.
As a result most of Primordial Arcana just passes me by, leaving me with little to grasp hold of and explore as it goes. I get snippets of hope. The resonating plucked string on Spirit of Lightning or the ambience of Eostre but nothing to really snap me into me giving the album my full-blown attention if I am honest. Whilst not a bad record I still feel disappointed and very underwhelmed. The best track for me is the bonus track (on the bonus track version, fittingly enough). Skyclad Passage has a commanding presence from the off and takes hold of a direction and stick with it. Have it on loud enough and the atmospheric thud and rumble has the windows vibrating in their frames as the track grows and grows with each passing minute. More of this next time around please guys.
