Saturday 20 February 2016

Cult Of Luna/The Old Wind - "Råångest" EP (Review)

By: Heather Blewett

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 29/01/2016
Label: Pelagic Records


Cult of Luna singular track on the split is a cover of Amebix’s ‘Last Will and Testament’, despite being a cover version it is very much interpreted their way, with brutality and epic grandeur. It’s a mesmerizing take on the original that showcases their laudable creativeness and intelligent musicality.  The Old Wind maintains the brutality with crushing riffs and anguished vocals on track ‘The Wooden Scythe’. Darker and sludge-ier than the Cult of Luna offering, it’s a force to be reckoned with. ‘Daughters of Cleanse’ cohesively chimes in, following on in the same bleak fashion as the previous track.  Both bands deliver to create an impressively monolithic EP, excitement for the upcoming Cult of Luna release is intensified while The Old Wind will surely garner new fans whilst appeasing current ones.

“Råångest” CD//LP track listing:

Side A: CULT OF LUNA
1. Last Will And Testament

Side B: THE OLD WIND – 
1. Wooden Scythe,
2. Daugthers Of Cleanse

The Review:

Swedish post-metal heroes Cult of Luna have taken a step back since their epic album Vertikal and with new opus “Mariner” being announced for April this year, a split with The Old Wind is here to keep us going until that time comes. And it can’t come soon enough, for me Cult of Luna have always been firmly at the top of the post-metal genre, even ahead of pioneers Neurosis and Isis. The Old Wind who is made up of members of Breach and The Ocean contribute two tracks to “Råångest”, and have their sophomore album to be named due for release later this year.

Cult of Luna singular track on the split is a cover of Amebix’s ‘Last Will and Testament’,  despite being a cover version it is very much interpreted their way, with brutality and epic grandeur. It’s a mesmerizing take on the original that showcases their laudable creativeness and intelligent musicality. Cult of Luna once again superbly balances devastating heaviness with alluring electronics that makes for such a massive sound.

The Old Wind maintains the brutality with crushing riffs and anguished vocals on track ‘The Wooden Scythe’. Darker and sludge-ier than the Cult of Luna offering, it’s a force to be reckoned with. ‘Daughters of Cleanse’ cohesively chimes in, following on in the same bleak fashion as the previous track. The Old Wind impress with their input, even alongside such a massive band as Cult of Luna they are in no way overshadowed.

Both bands deliver to create an impressively monolithic EP, excitement for the upcoming Cult of Luna release is intensified while The Old Wind will surely garner new fans whilst appeasing current ones.

“Råångest” is available here