by BBG

Falls of Rauros' set unfolded over a series of long, gorgeously-crafted atmospheric black metal compositions. Their sprawling odes to the wilderness and man's primal past recalled the power and delicacy of Drudkh and Agalloch, with a taste of Ulver's Kveldssanger and a hungry intensity all their own. Unfortunately they'd already sold out of CDs by the time they rolled through Brooklyn, but this Maine collective are working on new material for an upcoming release that will undoubtedly surpass even my high expectations. -[Kim Kelly earlier this year]

I was similarly impressed with Falls of Rauros' set, which sat comfortably beside impressive sets from Lake of Blood and Seidr that bitterly cold night at Acheron.

There are a zillion bands that do the epic-black-metal thing, but most mistake "sprawling" for meandering, long-winded, and ultimately predictable. Thankfully, Falls of Rauros is not one of those bands and they've created the excellent The Light that Dwells in Rotten Wood for Bindrune Recordings. Out now, the LP features the requisite melancholia, light and shade, and ripping black metal riffs and though Falls of Rauros aren't forging any new paths, The Light that Dwells in Rotten Wood is a well-crafted piece of epic darkness. Stream the LP in full below.



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