DIADEM OF 12 STARS

Bleak, harsh, muddy, uncomfortable, but at the same time in a wonderfully evil atmosphere. It wouldn't seem like these attributes would all fit together, but somehow they do in Diadem of 12 stars. In this record, Wolves in the Throne Room utilizes their lo-fi black metal instrumentation to create some of the bleakest atmospheres in music today, prog or not.

Of course, lots of prog fans may complain that the music goes on too long, but they should take time to learn to enjoy the atmosphere. Diadem of 12 Stars will take a bit of time to appreciate, due to the low production value and the harsh sounds like the black metal screams and the distorted guitars. Once a person begins to actually listen to it, they may discover a form of black metal comparable to post rock giants like Godspeed You Black Emperor!, repeating riffs and developing a song over long lengths of time.

All four of the lengthy 12-minute and up tracks are great, though the longest one, "(A Shimmering Radiance) Diadem Of 12 Stars" has just a bit of padding that may be difficult to listen to, though it also contains excellent acoustic guitar parts and the most energetic outro of any of the compositions on the album. Also thoroughly enjoyable are the soft female vocals on "Face in a Night Time Mirror Part 1", adding to the mystical and deep atmosphere.

The bottom line is any fan of experimental or atmospheric metal should definetely enjoy this, and it is reccomended for fans of both Tech/Extreme metal and Experimental/Post metal. Other prog fans may have mixed opinions, but should still take the time to appreciate this type of music.