OUR ROAD TO DUST

Edensong is not a band I was familiar with before writing this review. They play a brand of semi-metallic progressive rock with significant folk influences. The band also has a dedicated flutist, so the comparisons to Jethro Tull are pretty easy. Those comparisons are also pretty apt, as Tull's influence can be heard throughout this record.

Our Road to Dust opens with the 90-second instrumental "Of Ascents". It's a pleasant enough little guitar piece, but it honestly feels more like an interlude than an introduction. This leads into the first proper song, "The Illusion of Permanance [sic]", and it's a pretty jarring shift. Jagged, wiry, metallic riffs emerge suddenly, and it's a really exhilarating, exciting composition. This piece clearly draws a lot from classic Dream Theater and Fates Warning, but with a more modern feel. The meter wobbles forward unsteadily, and the flute here almost sounds like an airy synthesizer. Melodic moments are sprinkled in for contrast, and the song ends on a quieter note.

"These Old Wounds" flows directly from the preceding cut, and it's got a much mellower atmosphere. Multilayered vocals and ethereal flutes give a dreamy feel at moments, but these are juxtaposed against more energetic passages.I also really like the band's instrumental tones; the bass in particular has a satisfying chunkiness to it. Despite a lot of strong elements, this song does feel a bit too long. It probably could have been trimmed down by about a minute.

"Black Crow" has an a capella opening, and the verse reminds me of Obama-era indie rock acts. There are electronic elements here, too, and this honestly isn't my favorite song. It feels incongruous with the first two pieces. On the plus side, there are some lovely folky instrumental moments that call to mind Comus or late '70s Jethro Tull.

Striking a middle ground between Edensong's more metallic side and the previous lighter song is "Hall of Statues". Acoustic guitar and flute provide wonderful, lush passages, and the band also deploys more aggressive tones elsewhere. The riffs are tangled and complex, and the vocal melodies are powerful.

"Book of Complaints" is far and away my least-favorite song here. The instrumental elements are mostly fine, if perhaps slightly stilted; but I hate the vocals. The specific tone of the voice and the melody both just disagree with my ear. It sounds like a big, anthemic indie rock song from 2012, and that is simply not a style of music I like. It's not even bad, per se. It's just simply not for me. 

Following that is a reprise of "Of Ascents", this time performed on flute. I like the weird breathiness of this version, and it reminds me of a spooky calliope.

"Wykkr Bäsct" bursts forth with a thrilling guitar riff and propulsive backbone. The band integrates their folk-heavy prog elements wonderfully here, and a guest violinist provides further auditory richness.  I'll reiterate my Jethro Tull comparison here. This instrumental sounds like it could have been some deep-cut outtake that was originally intended for WarChild or Heavy Horses (if you disregard some of the more metallic elements).

The album concludes with its title track. After a relatively subdued, folk-influenced opening passage, "Our Road to Dust" morphs into something much bigger and more triumphal-sounding. Edensong continues to mix their folky and heavy sides, with those elements playing off each other beautifully.

Overall, I really like Our Road to Dust. It's not a perfect record, but the stuff that I like is very strong. And even the pieces that didn't resonate with me weren't bad, necessarily. They felt a bit forced or stylistically incongruent, but they were still well-played and had enjoyable elements to them.

Review originally published here: theeliteextremophile.com/2025/05/26/album-review-edensong-our-road-to-dust/

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