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THE WHITE EP

Agalloch

Experimental/Post Metal


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Agalloch The White EP album cover
3.57 | 71 ratings | 9 reviews | 28% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
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Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, released in 2008

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. The Isle of Summer (3:58)
2. Birch Black (2:41)
3. Hollow Stone (4:15)
4. Pantheist (7:17)
5. Birch White (3:45)
6. Sowilo Rune (5:40)
7. Summerisle Reprise (4:56)

Total Time 32:32

Line-up / Musicians

- Don Anderson / acoustic & electric guitars, vocals, voices, whispers, text (6), piano (7)

- John Haughm / acoustic & electric guitars, bass, baritone guitars, EBow, percussion (6)

- Markus Wolff / percussion (2,4)
- Ty Brubaker / accordion
- Chris Greene / synths (3)
- Ronn Chick / synths (6)
- Veleda Thorsson / Jew's harp, Peruvian ceremonial horn, goat horn
- Andrea Victoria Knippschild / cave voice
- A.S.J. Tessimond / text (5)

Releases information

Released by Vendlus Records

Thanks to Equality 7-2521 for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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AGALLOCH The White EP ratings distribution


3.57
(71 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(28%)
28%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(48%)
48%
Good, but non-essential (18%)
18%
Collectors/fans only (4%)
4%
Poor. Only for completionists (1%)
1%

AGALLOCH The White EP reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Prog-jester
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Folk+Ambeint=Prog. Ever heard of such phenomenon?

'The White' was a nice surprise for me and the first 2008 record I really enjoyed. It reminds me of my own 'Vorkoma' EP - several instrumentals drawn together, mostly drumless, very atmospheric and ambient (FOLK-AMBIENT in fact), and nothing close to what AGALLOCH has been doing before. Wait, didn't I tell you that these guys are unpredictable?

Anyway, we have 7 tracks of 'overture' kind, that could have been used in previous AGALLOCH albums. My favourite one is definitely 'Sowilo Rune' with it's simple yet always working chord progression. Other tracks vary from acoustic guitar meanderings to purely ambient piano passages. The best thing about this EP that it creates unique atmosphere, and it's one the most ATMOSPHERIC albums I ever experienced. It's hard to recommend this stuff to AGALLOCH newbies, since it doesn't show band's regular material, but I would recommend it anyway. Amazing record

Review by laplace
PROG REVIEWER
1 stars Dreary. It's a word I hate, since I've rarely heard it said without a whining cadence and a north English accent. Dreariness is also something I hate in music and something copious on The White. It's not quite goth, not really the same as sadness, nowhere near anger or fire, not even possessing the feeling of a jam but simply a way to describe the blasé attempts to fill up musical time; listening to a band happy to record such dismal nothingness really disturbs me in a profound way.

There's no fun to be had with The White and if anything on it will incite you, it'll be the vocal clips occasionally layered over the limboid music drollness, since they're far more eloquent than this band will ever become. Everything else on the record is muffled strumming and whispers or else ambience of a kind that puts in you mind of no era or place but rather of wasted time. Perhaps that, at least, could bring out a little regret.

Don't mistake these songs for mood pieces, for laments or for folk (where's the storytelling nature, the risqué yet lovable rhymes or the energy that comes from sincerity?) - Agalloch have recorded half-an-hour of pure tedium and directed it toward fans of hypnotic music; that's a term that gets used in the press as synonymous with trance-inducing but in The White's case, the literal sense is more appropriate. NOTHING HAPPENS ON THIS ALBUM.

Review by Bonnek
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars After the astounding Ashes Against The Grain I would greet any sign of life from Agalloch with fervent enthusiasm. In order to keep this kind of fan radicalism under control, Agalloch released this pleasant little EP filled with acoustic winter night music.

It's named The White and that fits the music just fine. Short melancholic acoustic guitar pieces with touches of electric guitar and subtle tricks out of multiple effect devices dominate this instrumental album. For specialists, the music here will have a strong Ulver ring to it, at least to the Ulver incarnation as it can be heard on the acoustic Nordic folk album Kveldssanger.

Halfway through this shorth EP, the quality of the pieces start to diminish a bit, but it if this EP gives any hint of the new sounds the band might be integrating in the future, I'll be even more eager for a new full length then I already was after Ashes Against The Grain.

Review by Conor Fynes
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars 'The White' - Agalloch (9/10)

It is rare to come across an extended play, or other 'shorter' work of music by a band, that I consider one of their most beautiful and profound acheivements. Such is the case with Agalloch's 'White EP' however. A stunning half hour of neo-folk brilliance, the band manages to perfectly capture their trademark aesthetic and mood, despite skirting their heavier musical roots.

Despite being a very stripped down and simple piece of music, Agalloch make sure use of the saying 'less is more.' While the music might be dismissed by some as mere 'ambience' and nothing more, each track has the ability to grab the attention with it's sonic grandeur and deceptively simple beauty. 'The White' (like much of the band's music) is a tribute to nature; the music and soundscaping actively showcasing what it must be like to be surrounded by an endless forest. Acoustic guitars are the order of the day here, although a number of other instruments (ranging from accordion to piano to a ceremonial goat horn) are used to give the music the added warmth and variety it would otherwise suffer without.

Tying the EP together with a concept of sorts, is a series of script excerpts from the 1970's cult horror film 'The Wicker Man,' in which several quotes spoken by actor Christopher Lee are used. While spoken dialogue in music can usually be annoying, things work very well here; bestowing upon the music, an unsettling, existential theme.

A beautiful piece of music, this is a perfect contrast to some of the heavier music the band has done. Although it may have a different sound than the typical black/doom metal the band has built a fanbase upon, there is still the quintessential voice of Agalloch resounding through each meloncholic note.

Review by JJLehto
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Agalloch's lightest work, in terms of music, this album has very little metal on it. In fact it is almost entirely acoustic guitar, with some electric guitar sometimes fluttering around in the background, hardly any vocals and little percussion.

"The Isle of Summer" starts with a sample from The Wicker Man of children chanting "we carry death out of the village" fading away as a folk riff comes in. The acoustic guitars carry on throughout as the only heaviness on the release is heard at one part. Some gentle electric guitar takes over near the end.

"Birch Black" has some great folk riffing with, not too heavy, electric guitar filling the background with tribal type pounding percussion and a powerful ending.

"Hollow Stone" is an electronic ambient piece.

"Pantheist" has a pretty similar feel to Birch Black. There are vocals on this song, limited to choir "aahs".

"Birch White" starts with perhaps my favorite riff on the album and features Haughm reciting A.S.J. Tessimond's poem "Birch Tree" in typical deep whispering fashion. His voice, over the absolutely awesome riffing and some bagpipe in the backdrop which adds a haunting, beautiful touch. My favorite song on the EP.

"Sowlio Rune" is quite slow and ambient. Very moving.

"Summerisle Reprise" is a solo piano piece which starts with a familiar sounding melody, I think it is similar to the opening track. The piece moves along at a slow pace, varying slowly throughout with some real subtle electronic ambiance and ends with another sample from The Wicker Man.

Obviously the movie had some impact on the band, and this EP seems more like a dedication to it, than inspired by it. A superb work that is honestly near perfect. Lots of awesome folk riffing, great movement both in every song and the overall album, not to mention stunning atmospheres. Agalloch are the masters of creating atmosphere and they do so again with the "The White".

4.75 Stars Bump

FOUR STARS

Review by TCat
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
3 stars "The White EP" by Agalloch, is quite a study in minimalism with a lot of atmospheric ambience. The band uses quite a variety of instruments in this mostly instrumental album, but the songs are still quite minimal. Many write this off as being only an ambient album, but it is much more than that. It is the sound of loneliness in nature, while seeming minimal, it's still powerful. It is also very dark and forboding, but a natural, woodsy feel permeates the entire EP. It is a beautiful

The first track "The Isle of Summer" is mostly acoustic guitar and some natural sounds and start out with the sounds of children singing. The singing is actually a snippet from the movie "The Wicker Man". "Birch Black" features an electric guitar with some percussion, but still keeping things minimal. "Hollow Stone" is very ambient and mostly performed with synthesizers. It ends with some echoing vocals. "Pantheist" is mostly acoustic with some minimal percussion. At around the 3 minute mark, it becomes more intense with some electric guitar and some wordless vocals harmonizing with each other thrown in.

"Birch White" is a little cheerier with acoustic guitars, an accordion and spoken vocals. The Vocals are a recitation of the poem "Birch Tree" read by the lead vocalist and written by A.S.J. Tessimond. "Sowilo Rose" is a piano accompanied by a strummed acoustic guitar and a little atmospheric synth added in for ambience. There are some whispered vocals by Don from text . Soon there is some electric guitar added in and the synths become more apparent towards the end. More snippets from "The Wicker Man" are added in at the end. "Summerisle Reprise" is led off with solo piano with the sustain pedal held down for a nice echo effect. It also ends with more samples from "The Wicker Man".

The mood doesn't change much, or at least for long periods of time, as it remains mostly slow and quiet throughout the EP. This is quite a change of pace for the band, but the tracks themselves are actually taken from various sessions between 2004 and 2007. As such, it surprisingly stays cohesive throughout, and this is probably helped by the use of samples from the movie. But the overall feeling is loneliness and the atmosphere is very organic. The style is still neo-folk, but the metal aspect, for the most part, is left out of this EP. Yet it's still believable coming from this band as they are know to experiment and try new things, which makes them an excellent band.

This album, however, is not the best one to start out with if you want to be introduced to the music of Agalloch. Lovers of acoustic and organic music will probably like this, and those interested in Neo-Folk and the natural feel of natural pagan music, such as "Current 93" or "Nest" will appreciate it also. It does tend to wear itself out by the end, as a little variety would have been nice, like a jig or something, but it's still a decent EP.

Review by siLLy puPPy
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic
4 stars THE WHITE EP

After three full-length studio albums and two EPs, it was clear that dark neofolk was a key aspect in the music of AGALLOCH which when combined with black / doom metal and post-rock, created their signature sound that won the world over beginning with the outstanding sophomore album "The Mantle." After ratcheting up the metal aspects a bit on "Ashes Against The Grain," AGALLOCH may have amped up the distortion and aggressive bombast a bit but it was still quite apparent that dark neofolk acoustic guitar was the underpinning of the compositional flare that the music was built around. While the first few EPs were basically a collection of leftover tracks that showed a little behind the scenes action of John Haughm and Don Anderson's innermost musical leanings, THE WHITE EP, displays a completely stripped down journey into AGALLOCH's most primal musical aspirations and in the process creates their first consistent EP, stylistically speaking.

Technically this is the second and final installment of a pair of EPs that began with "The Grey EP," but really, screw that. The previous EP was fairly weak and uninspiring. It was nothing more than leftovers from "The Mantle" bin, but THE WHITE EP is something completely different. This collection of seven tracks that meander over the 32 minute mark has a complete life of its own and single- handedly showcases ALLOGACH as first and foremost a dark ambient neofolk band that just happened to dabble in metal on their studio albums. Oh, and these are completely original and have not appeared elsewhere. Unlike the previous offerings, this EP is majestic and sublime. It takes the listener on a journey and one that is a pleasant ride on every stop on the way. The passion is afire and quite apparent simply by reading the cast of characters involved. While the full-length albums were limited to four or five musicians at the most, this one hosts a whopping nine.

THE WHITE EP's mission becomes obvious from the getgo with the voices of children on the opening "The Isle Of Summer" which were borrowed from the 1973 film "The Wicker Man." Likewise, the album ends with these same vocal samplings and in the middle develops a rather ritualistic Pagan musical meandering that captures the merging of acoustic folk guitar, electronic ambience, tribal percussion and sounds of nature all intertwined to create an alternative soundtrack to the 1973 film that without a doubt was one of the primary impetuses in the creation of the overall AGALLOCH sound. Listening to this EP is like digging into the soulful essence of a musical act at its primary inspirational level and the fact that AGALLOCH pulls it off so well only showcases the evidence that these guys' heart and soul was in this every step of the way.

This is primarily an instrumental EP with vocals, albeit whispered, spoken and chanted provide mere supplemental instrumental roles rather than lyrically based. While the acoustic guitar is the primary instrument that drives the parade of chords that coalesce into the melancholic melodies that emerge, there is ample additional instrumentation in the form of timpani based percussion, accordion, synthesizers, jew's harp and even a Peruvian ceremonial horn. Oh yeah, there's a goat horn too! While acoustically divine, the electric guitars emerge as an ambient backdrop to great effect and interesting piano runs emerge to create a rather classically inspired connection as well. Despite all these accouterments of timbres and tones, everything really connects seamlessly along with birds chirping alongside dark ambient installations. It seems that everything just flows perfectly from beginning to end.

By the end of this listening experience, it almost seems as if i went on a random hike through the woods in an undisclosed Oregon forest and just happened upon a Pagan ritual underway. Awed by the spectacle, i stopped to observe the entirety as i happened to catch it from its initial opening as i became caught up in the spectacle of it all. The music inspires reflection and inner contemplation upon the physical reality upon which i stand and allows the spirits of the Earth to evolve my consciousness. While neither technically demanding nor commercially distracting, THE WHITE EP nevertheless implements extremely addictive melodic hooks that are augmented by subtle electronic and production techniques yet makes me feel as if this is purely acoustic.

THE WHITE EP is all about atmosphere and emotional upwelling. This is Pagan ritual music at its finest. Perhaps their stint with Nest on they 2004 split inspired a more stripped down approach that eschews the adrenaline inducing emotional responses of metal, but all i have to say is that this is by far the best of the AGALLOCH EPs and despite dropping one of the most characteristic elements of the overall AGALLOCH sound, proves to be quite compelling in its introspective simplicity and soul stirring emotional tugs that inspire a true connection to the natural world much in the way the film "The Wicker Man" was supposed to. I've never warmed up to the soundtrack of that film despite its overall popularity and THE WHITE EP has emerged in my world as the perfect alternative soundtrack for what that movie was supposed to make me feel. No metal here at all. Headbangers beware. This is soul stirring dark ambient laced neofolk all the way with some extra layers of electronic sophistication. Brilliant.

Latest members reviews

2 stars "The While" EP earns two stars in my opinion. It fits the definition given by everyone's favorite website. Only someone who is a major supporter of Agalloch would truly appreciate this recording. I'm only mildly impressed. The administrators of Prog Archives have listed Agalloch as an expe ... (read more)

Report this review (#990491) | Posted by thwok | Monday, July 1, 2013 | Review Permanlink

4 stars I've waited some time since first wanting to review this EP to put my thoughts on record. From the first listen Agalloch conveyed something really special here. The White EP collects a variety of dark folk and ambient works written by the band over the past several years. This EP offers Agalloch ... (read more)

Report this review (#170231) | Posted by Equality 7-2521 | Thursday, May 8, 2008 | Review Permanlink

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