Fhoi Myore: The Northern Cold EP

One of the best Modernist poets, T. S. Eliot, suggested that "April is the Cruelest Month." This phrase, taken from the poem, "The Wasteland," serves as a reminder that winter always holds on longer than expected. With the coming of spring, we look forward to warmth and to flowers and to grass. We long for the day when the sun will warm our skin and brighten our mood. Sometimes, though, winter tries to reassert itself with a final snow or rainstorm. Sometimes our sense of hope darkens and we no longer have faith in the coming of spring.

I mention all this because this album constantly highlights the sound of rain. The title, The Northern Cold, also does a pretty good job of reminding us that this music is all about the persistence of winter. Most of the songs are about storm conditions or about dark and gloomy mist. One of the tracks, "Untitled," is nothing more than the sound of pouring rain. As I listened, I grew weary of the whole thing, asking myself what this album is trying to accomplish. Is it suggesting that we are all miserable creatures, doomed to live out our lives in restless despair, knowing the sun will never shine again? If so, where will happiness come from if it can be found at all? The answer, I am guessing, comes from music, from its ability to try out different melodies and themes and ask how they speak to our natures and needs.

I wish I liked this album more, but I just couldn't connect with it. The music is pretty much constant screaming and relentless guitar work. At times, the music reminded me of traveling on a bumpy road with its attendant feeling that we are getting somewhere but only in the most uncomfortable way possible. On the upside, these guys sound great when they're using acoustic guitars because the melancholy mood they bring is actually kind of pretty.

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Orage
3. Souvenirs
4. Miist
5. Untitled
6. Forest of Doom
7. The Walkyries (Ancalagon Cover)
8. Songes Funestes (Acoustic Version)

Added: October 3rd 2012
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Myspace Page
Hits: 1999
Language: english

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