DIADEM OF 12 STARS

After 2 self-released demos, Wolves in the Throne Room released their debut effort, Diadem of 12 Stars, and while later efforts from the band hold up better for me, there are still plenty of things about this album to enjoy. As one would expect, this is pretty lo-fi black metal of epic proportions. The album last just over 60 minutes and of the 4 songs on here, all of them are anything but short.

The bleak atmospheres that I love about Wolves in the Throne Room are very much present here. To be honest, this album feels like their most avant-garde one to me to date. It almost feels more like an avant-garde band making (fairly) brutal black metal music than a black metal band. And of course, despite the heaviness at various tempos, there are a few melodic moments to be found. The female vocals on Face in a Night Time Mirror Part 1 add a bit of variety to the otherwise black metal screaming present. One thing that really makes this album stand out is that, despite the beautifully dark atmospheres, is the fact that they are created only by 2 guitars and drums. No bass or keyboards were used to make the album, and I admire Wolves in the Throne Room for being willing to try an unconventional method.

There are two factors that bring this album down a bit for me though. The first is the drumming. It feels like it's out of beat at times, and it doesn't seem like it's on purpose to me. The second is how this album is more about bleakness than anything else. There are a few melodic moments, but none as engrossing or worthwhile as on later Wolves in the Throne Room releases. 3 stars is about all I can give this release. Thankfully, I can pull this out every now and then, but it's definitely my least-played album in their discography to date.