Agalloch/Nest "Split" 10"
[Infinite Vinyl]
Agalloch takes side A with "The Wolves of Timberline", an instrumental selection with acoustic and classical guitar, mandolin, and cello. The track is basically an extended reprise of the closing riff from "Hallways of Enchanted Ebony" from the "Pale Folklore" album (where it originally appeared against samples of wolves, appropriately) - here very well recorded with bright harmonies and intricate layering, where everything is lush and clear while still possessing a dark edge of ruggedness about the textures. Opening and closing with the sounds of wind, this is a concise piece that plays through almost too quickly, of course leaving the listener in want of far more. Nest (Finland) follows on side B with "Last Vestige of Old Joy", which is sort of a neo-folk/dark ambient kind of thing using traditional Finnish instruments to lay down a melody over subtly resonant percussion and droning basslines. The core of Agalloch (Haughm and Anderson) guests on this track, taking on vocals and acoustic guitar respectively, making for a very moving and unusual piece. The vocals range from a deeply spoken narration to pulsing choral singing, so this is a slightly more diverse and developed piece than Agalloch's contribution. The sound quality is excellent here as well, allowing for a bit more low-end presence to seep forth but still retaining perfect clarity. The 10" is a picture disc with colored pencil illustrations on each side compliments of Nest's A.Tolonen. Each scene is a peaceful yet bleak autumn/winter landscape that applies to the atmosphere of the music well. Inside are two postcards that have the complete images of the illustrations along with text information for each act. The release is limited to 1,000 copies, hand-numbered on one of the postcards. As expected this is a splendid release that has certainly stirred up my interest in tracking down more work from Nest. And Agalloch is among my favorite bands of all time, so anything they touch remains golden. Certainly pick this up while you still can... I ordered mine the day it came out and I imagine many more have sold since that time. (8/10)
Running time - 10:00 (approximately), Tracks: 2
[Notable tracks: both are very nice]
Infinite Vinyl - http://www.theendrecords.com

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