CD review, May 09. Wolves in The Throne Room - Black Cascade (Southern Lord)

I’ve long harboured doubt about WITTR and their adoption by the Pitchfork/indie/stoner rock scene presumably based on their ecological and spiritual leanings; living on their own self sustaining farm outside Olympia, WA and the like. All very admirable though the land apparently bought by parents in 2003 (now conveniently removed from their online history). Easy to be individual when someone else is bankrolling you. So what does this wage slave office drone think of the music? Well for a bunch of Statesiders, their take on the Norwegian Black Metal sound is expertly done and highly reminiscent of the ambient drone of Burzum and BM thrash of Mayhem et al. There’s also deft, or inappropriate, depending on your preference, mixing of post-rock style ambient sonic passages; think Isis. These are broad strokes though and as WITTR tend away from out and out Anaal Nathrakh-style brutality, and are highly derivative, they are very good at what they do. I just can’t help thinking I’d like them better if they were Scandinavian rather than the American Johnny-come-latelys. I’d recommend stocking up on the originators but Black Cascade does stand as a fine introduction to the genre.