GUTS OF DARKNESS webzine

   Wolfsblood has united the opposing worlds of tribal acoustic Teutonic shamanism with modern electronic wizardry. Combining acoustic drums, According to some people, there wouldn’t be any Russian dark folk scene without Wolfsblood’s efforts. It’s true that this guy seems to be active in various activities, as a photographer, as a journalist and now as a musician. You have to listen to ‘Twilight of the world’ as an initiation ritual to Northern legends, shamanic atmospheres and esoteric rites. The music is mainly ambient and composed with gloomy drones sounds, different ‘natural’ noises (birds, winds, water, wolves’cries…), lead by shamanic drums. Then, some more traditional instruments are added as acoustic guitar, flutes…that give a more dark folk feeling to some tracks. Wolfsblood tells lyrics of his own as well as some Aleister Crowley’s (‘Baphomet’) and Scandinavian mystic words (‘Völuspa). Though he does nearly all the vocals and instruments, he also invited some famous guest from the Russian dark scene as Count ASH (Moon Far Away), Peter Sviridov (Embrace Of Branches), or Veronika (Waldsonne, ex-Languor). Sometimes the atmosphere gets really scary as on ‘The Last Avatar’ where haunted female vocals make you think of Aghast, or ‘The Call’ where a melancholy piano and a guitar seem to be swallowed by roaring and spooky ‘waves’, not to mention the diabolical vocals and sounds on ‘Witches’ Voices’. If you consider the efficiency and quality of the atmospheres, there’s nothing to complain about (the shamanic feeling is definitely a plus). The only waek point might be the monotonous and looping aspect of the tracks that might make you feel a little bored in the end (the album is long). So, it seems to me that’s it’s important to listen to this cd in a right mood, as music for rituals.
January12, 2006
Twilight
http://www.gutsofdarkness.com/