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Wolves In The Throne Room - Black Cascade

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 April 30 2009 at 07:52:37 AM



What polarizes many in the metal community about Wolves in the Throne Room isn't necessarily their music but the band's inconsistent, wishy-washy message. Traditionally a stubbornly apolitical musical form, Black Metal's preoccupation with nihilist, misanthropic, pagan, fascist, anti-Christian and Satanic themes made it abundantly clear activism was best left to the hardcore punk crowd, with most artists focusing more on arresting, poetic imagery laced with blood, hate and profane rites in their often introspective lyrics. When Wolves in the Throne Room came along in 2006, however, the trio of bearded musicians from Olympia, Washington ruffled a few feathers with their fierce environmentalism, tales of living a bogusly self-sufficient life on a farm and a belief that they were the first to promote a shockingly Romantic idea whereby one can use this extremely dark, melancholic style of music to achieve a sort of spiritual transcendence, something that has been firmly entrenched within the confines of the most maligned form of music since day one. For some who choose to adhere to the idea that sticking rigidly within the structure of a specific metal subgenre can in itself be a form of liberation, the notion of these hipster-looking fellas from a liberal arts college town trying to stretch the boundaries of Black Metal was a little too much to bear.

Once you get past the band's rosy-hued views, though (an easy thing to do considering their screamed vocals are indecipherable, and their lyrics are never provided), the impact of the actual music is undeniable; it's rather impotent in the end, sounding like another Emperor wannabe about 15 years too late. In fact, so powerful has their music become that when all’s said and done, we could care less about the band’s tree-hugging tendencies, what the lyrics are, or just what the hell that dude in the leggings is in the album’s elaborate artwork; we’re far too busy being circumcised by weasels.

[Shishya]

Wolves In The Throne Room
Black Cascade
2009
Southern Lord

Comments (36)

  • 67 comments
    chauncey chomperz
    10:35 AM on Apr 30, 2009 // reply »
    see this review sucks. 75% of it is dedicated to scene policing and shit talking, none of which you can prove or disprove (how do you know their farm is bogus for example? you been there?) , and the 25% that actually talks about the music is 2 shameless run-on sentences of indecipherable contradictory fucking goobldeygook. is the impact undeniable? or are they emperor rip off hacks? usually the writing on this site is pretty good, which is why I tolerate the pissing contest of obscure references and Beckett aping "abstract" bullshit. Shishya get your shis together.
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    10:55 AM on Apr 30, 2009 // reply »
    See, you assume the person that wrote this doesn't have intimate knowledge of what he/she writes about... That's your first problem.

    Your second problem is failing to understand WITTR dedicates more than 75% of ample interview time to scene stance, world-view policing, shit-talking about shit-talking, and hardly anything to do with the MUSIC it makes.

    The writing on this site is "pretty good" b/c is aspires to the likes of Mr. Beckett and is unafraid of referencing things only the most curious and lucky discover.

  • 108 comments
    jniff
    12:18 PM on Apr 30, 2009 // reply »
    Oh boy... I see a bunch of heated comments on the horizon. That said, I think -rather impotent- pretty much summarizes my take on their music, as well. Thanks for stirring the pot...
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    1:23 PM on Apr 30, 2009 // reply »
    Only things worse than WITTR are Mastadong, Krallice and Bud Light Lime.
  • 64 comments
    neu konservatiw
    7:51 PM on Apr 30, 2009 // reply »
    For some reason I have struggled to convince myself to appreciate what they are doing. Maybe the music itself - assuming, which I will in this case, that the "music itself" can ever be considered in isolation - is just too derivative after all. Then again, maybe it is my own failure.
    "Dear incomprehension, its thanks to you Ill be myself, in the end."
  • 1 comment
    ELF Posers
    11:31 PM on Apr 30, 2009 // reply »
    This band is weekender shit, plain and simple.
  • 1 comment
    commander snuggles
    8:03 AM on May 01, 2009 // reply »
    Disagree with the interview. Still love this website.


    Being passive has never been so easy and fulfilling!
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    8:26 AM on May 01, 2009 // reply »
    In a perfect world more people would engage and discuss the Karnarium record and pay little attention to something as contrived and nihilistic as WITTR. For that matter, what about the Cobalt record? Or Nefandus? That's some good stuff.

    A few weeks ago a friend and I were talking about those Mercyful Fate LP reissues and were shocked to find out Roadrunner had dropped them a few years ago. They are still around! Wow. That's crazy. Mercyful Fate is one of the greatest bands ever! But these reissues didn't sell out!

    Conversely, WITTR will sell to the nub with everyone chatting up the fucking artwork and vinyl colors and whatever moronic shit about these guys being bearded, live-off-the-land Adbusters, Thoreau etc.

    Five years from now, folks will wonder why they even bought this record. Look! It's bright and shiny! Look at this! Buy it! It's great! Look at all the colors! This music is artless, empty, expendable.
  • 108 comments
    jniff
    12:56 PM on May 01, 2009 // reply »
    Thanks for the words of wisdom and laughs. Mastadong - that's good. Thankfully, I've never tried Bud Light Lime, but it sounds ass-nasty. I'll stick w/ Schlitz... I was waiting for someone to drop beards, and lo and behold!
  • 108 comments
    jniff
    1:22 PM on May 01, 2009 // reply »
    As for the cover, if I want to see dudes in leggings, I'll watch Live After Death.
  • 29 comments
    Daves not here
    7:18 PM on May 01, 2009 // reply »
    I love to think about how the guys who say things like hipster metal and weekenders were still playing with their He Man dolls back when I was going to metal shows in the 80s. For the record, this record is kinda boring. Rock on, Masters of the Universe.
  • 23 comments
    trummer
    9:51 AM on May 02, 2009 // reply »
    people who buy this also bought death magnetic, i'm pretty sure about that.

    yuck.

    oh and it's " couldn't care less" isn't it ?
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    8:37 AM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    Johnny Trumm, Mr. Begrand COULD care less. He could.
  • 67 comments
    chauncey chompers
    11:10 AM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    dude come on that last paragraph is a crime against prose. also if you think the band spend all their time shit talking and scene policing, and want to shit talk and scene police them right back, then fine but don't sit there and tell me this review is helpful to me or any other reader in making an assessment of the record itself. all I get from this is your withering (and in this case particularly venomous) contempt for the "public persona" or whatever of WITTR.
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    11:53 AM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    Mr. Chompers:

    I don't give a fuck if it's helpful to you or not, chief. I never claimed it to be, and I'm not here for your benefit.

    Source material for this "review" was a histrionic, glowing appreciation of WITTR written by a "Metal Scribe" at Pop Matters. We just took out all the positive drivel and added our $0.02.

    Run along, plz.
  • 67 comments
    chauncey chompers
    12:39 PM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    sorry I criticized your slap dash bummer of a review. what was I thinking? coming here actually interested in your recommendations.....

    which btw you make often. using such phrases as "highest recommendation" and "recommended". in some capacity this site is here to help people wade through all the crap and find the gems, don't take some BS ultra-aloof stance that you do this for you and you alone. you run a record review website, and you've written for other record review websites.
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    12:48 PM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    (a)I didn't write this; I am not making a recommendation. If I was, I would recommend Tietanblood; Villains; Funeral Mist; Karnarium; Cobalt, et alia.
    (b) When I like something, it's obvious.
    (c) I do this for me and me alone. I like writing about music. It's cathartic.
    (d) Yes, I have written for other record review websites.
  • 67 comments
    chauncey chompers
    1:34 PM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    argh. I know dude, and those bands you recommend are good. I'm a fan of the site in case that's not abundantly clear. this review however was not good, it was mean spirited and pointless. which is fine if we're talking about Metallica, but I might actually be interested in your take this record or any record that you give a fair shake to.

    you said this was basically cut and pasted from a dick sucking popmatters review, so it clearly didn't take all that much thought or effort. the fucking syntax and grammar makes that obvious. I think this site overall is really good, and I thought this review was lame and felt the need to say so. you don't have to give a shit, but you have a comments section so....
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    1:40 PM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    Have you ever tried Bud Light Lime? It tastes like candle oil...

    Dick sucking?! Who are you, Chaunce? I think I recognize the cut of your jib, the jib of your cut... But I must disagree, respectfully, of course: There is nothing pointless about being mean-spirited.
  • 67 comments
    chauncey chompers
    1:44 PM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    no Bud Light lime. strictly Tequiza. or Zima but only in a pinch.
  • 13 comments
    Tim
    5:36 PM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    Harping on the originality of a black metal band in 2009 is nonsensical. There hasn't been an original idea in black metal since 1987 (or maybe 1988, depending on which Bathory album you like best). Using that as the criteria to pisspound this album while celebrating second rate, third wave, done-to-death SDM dreck like Karnarium and the woeful nu black metal sounds of Funeral Mist is laughable.
  • 64 comments
    Pisspounder
    10:28 PM on May 04, 2009 // reply »
    Tim:

    This one was pretty original.

    http://www.myspace.com/xexyz666
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    7:33 AM on May 05, 2009 // reply »
    Gawdamn, Tim! I generally don't like my irony that thick. But marmite will do fine.
  • 15 comments
    evanz
    1:19 AM on May 06, 2009 // reply »
    Sometimes I just wonder to myself, why WITTR? Why Mastodon? Why Leviathan? Why Opeth? Why Meshuggah? There are a shit ton of metal bands in the world - a ton of shit, really. But why have these shite bands been singled out for adoration over the rest of pile for special adoration? And when I say "sometimes", I mean "once". Any more time spent thinking about it is a pointless.
  • 1 comment
    Shishya
    5:15 AM on May 06, 2009 // reply »
    ANY BAND CLAIMING TO BE "ECO-FASCIST" ONE WEEK AND DOING A CONCERT FOR A CAR COMPANY THE NEXT WEEK DESERVES TO BE DRAWN AND QUARTERED.

  • 4 comments
    Dictator
    2:50 AM on May 08, 2009 // reply »
    Q: You recently played Scion Fest. What's the deal with you guys accepting corporate money to play the fest?

    A: Blah blah corporations are bad blah blah... [then he comes up with this gem]: To me, there's really a sort of slimy, Satanic energy that surrounds that corporate culture, and I am unwilling to expose myself to [something] like that.

    http://invisibleoranges.com/2009/03/interview-wolves-in-throne-room.html

    Hilarious.
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    4:28 AM on May 08, 2009 // reply »
    Hold your horses, Mr. Dictator. Eric Johnson will be here as soon as you can say "nihil obstat."

    Apparently WITTR, like our dear Mastodon, aren't responsible for anything relayed by media outlets whether it be review, interview, or band bio.

    I wish I could go through life like that..
  • 10 comments
    Grk
    9:45 AM on May 22, 2009 // reply »
    I'm just wondering how one can be fascistic & apolitical at the same time.
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    10:02 AM on May 22, 2009 // reply »
    There you go, Mr. Grk.

    If those dweebs on teh DFFD bored stopped threading and started reading, maybe they'd be able to poke holes in their cherished WITTR, too.
  • 11 comments
    Dustin
    8:30 PM on Jul 09, 2009 // reply »
    gotta second that emotion about these guys playing the Scion show. i'm not saying that their bullshit "eco-fascist(???)" posturing and back-story sold me on them, but yes i did unfortunately buy their first two albums, one on very pretty vinyl that's about to become skeet shoot. the first record i thought sounded like some kids that might have potential. the second was post-rock girlie-singing garbage. when i heard about this Scion nonsense i wrote these guys off immediately, because i think if they're going to talk all that smack and then just sell out in the most blatant way, they're full of shit. if they don't really believe in what they're doing, why should I?

    that Scion shit really made my skin crawl. everybody should look up these Scion shows and take note of who has played. Krallice, Nachtmystium, and just about anyone else Decibel got paid to give a positive review to. i don't care if these guys turn around and make (inexplicably) good music, i just can't support this. they're getting paid to have Scion schmucks hawking Scion schwag at their shows. who's going to buy in next? mountain dew?
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    7:52 AM on Jul 10, 2009 // reply »
    Dustin !

    Table for two ! Over here ! I'm buyin'.
  • 1 comment
    The Noceros
    3:01 PM on Jul 17, 2009 // reply »
    Is it correct to call them overtly political. Sure they live a certain way, but I've never heard them preach any political message.
  • 11 comments
    Dustin
    10:56 PM on Jul 17, 2009 // reply »
    This is the last time I'm going to delve into this subject here, lest I seem like some vendetta-fueled internet dweeb trolling about message boards. Noceros, you can check out any interview these guys have done, but the invisible oranges interview is a good, more recent example. Every time any member of this band is asked questions, the naive bullshit just spews out their mouth(s). I seriously don't know where to begin with these guys, but the agrarian "one-with-nature" bullshit just flows from their mouths, and it's all made false by their Scion whore-dom. Seriously, why don't you go keep tabs on the things they say, and see if any of it washes with the fact that these guys got PAID REAL GOOD to hawk auto promo schwag. See how automobiles fit into their "eco-fascist" doctrine. Oh, I forgot they're probably all 21 or younger and have no idea what they're talking about. Just like their music; rambling variations on nothing.
  • 10 comments
    meatstupid
    8:48 PM on Jul 19, 2009 // reply »
    any accusation of ecofascism gives these guys too much credit. in their oaken throne interview, they claim to "oscillate between pentti linkola's ecof(a)scism and murray bookchin's social ekkkology." or something to that effect.

    still, i do enjoy their two demos...
  • 1 comment
    Turds in the Bathroom
    10:09 PM on Jul 20, 2009 // reply »
    First paragraph was dead on. You should have stopped right there. Fuck that band. Fuck em' with the trees they claim to love so much... or better yet fuck em' with a Scion.
  • 19 comments
    Doomstoned
    7:41 AM on Jun 07, 2010 // reply »
    Why even assume shit of this sort has roots in "black metal" and not some androgynous, skinny-armed, limp-wristed scream-o/emo whatever from the 90's?
 

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