From Which of This Oak

From Which Of This Oak, the first demo ever released by Agalloch, wanders in the dark depths of black metal, but with the atmospheric touch that we all know of Agalloch's music. Saying it's just a touch is pretty much a stretch though. The tracks are all pretty long except for one track, ranging from two minutes and a half to thirteen minutes and a half. If you already know Agalloch, you will easily recognize two of the tracks on this album, As Embers Dress the Sky and Foliorum Viridum. The first would be later re-recorded for the full-lenght album Pale Folklore, released in 1999. Foliorum Viridiun can also be found with a cleaner production on the EP Of Stone, Wind and Pillor.

If you know Agalloch, you will easily recognize the progression in their songs. While the guitar riffs are more fast-paced than any of the riffs on their most recent albums, you can easily recognize the structures and riff progressions type that would later be found on Pale Folklore. In fact, everything on this album pretty much sets the tone for Pale Folklore.

There are a few differences between From Which Of This Oak and Pale Folklore, though. Starting with the agressivity, the harshness of the vocals and the general black metal feeling of this short album. With Pale Folklore, their sound will progressively evolve in a kind of atmospheric black/folk metal sound.But starting with The Wilderness, which is definitely the best track to demonstrate what I'm trying to explain here, From Which Of This Oak will bring you on a different ride than Pale Folklore. John Haughm's vocals are harsh, aggressive and heavily influenced by black metal.He also uses the clean vocals perfectly, especially on This Old Cabin. The mix of John Haughm's typical vocals with more traditional black metal vocals gives pretty good results.. Everything on this album is black metal influenced to an extant. Very often you will be able to recognize typical drum patterns of the said genre. And even if the riffs have the distinctive Agalloch feel, the influences are still there.

Have I mentioned the guitar riffs? I guess I might have, because they are insane!! I can't believe the riffs on The Wilderness and This Old Cabin. These are amongst the most memorable songs I have ever heard, definitely the two highlights of this album. And that is mainly because of the guitar riffs. As Embers Dress The Sky is also such an awesome song, but the re-recorded version on Pale Folklore does sound better than the original. Some people think the production on From Which Of This Oak is not good, but except for Embers Dress The Sky, I think it fits the music perfectly. It serves the guitar riffs, drums, vocals and ambiance perfectly. Listening to the lyrics on this album, I know I wouldn't want to change anything about the production. I think every single Agalloch album has a unique sound. If you don't like the production of From Which Of This Oak, another of their albums would probably fit your tastes better. It is difficult to really perceive the bass guitar in the mix, though. I know black metal production doesn't usually focus on bass guitar. But comparing the bass on From Which Of This Oak to the bass on any of Agalloch's most recent albums, I can't help but feel that it could have been done a little better. Other than this, the production is magnificent.

A quick little mention of the female vocals on This Old Cabin needs to be done. They are also mind-blowing. They really add a great feeling to the music. And if I am not mistaken, the woman who sang on This Old Cabin is the same who worked with Agalloch again for Pale Folklore. Which is another reason for any Agalloch fan to check From Which Of This Oak out, especially those who really liked Pale Folklore, for this fits perfectly as an introduction to it.

Any black/folk metal fan should give a listen to this album as it is the album that started it all. If at this point of their career they didn't sound like what they sound now and sounded on their most recent albums, the demo From Which Of This Oak represents a key moment of Agalloch's career. Agalloch showed much influences from various bands and artists throughout their career. Artists such as Fields Of The Nephilim, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Swans and more. But on both Pale Folklore and From Which Of This Oak, Agalloch reminds me a lot of Katatonia and Ulver. Especially Ulver's album Bergtatt. Which is a good thing really. I can't name another band who managed to do anything similar to what Ulver did on their first full-length album, except for Agalloch. Who, we have to say it, manages to take influences and still have their unique sound.

From Which Of This Oak was born in Oregon with the band Agalloch. This masterpiece in form of a demo was the first rock thrown in the lake by Agalloch. Producing the shockwave that allowed for this great band to start up their career.

Having already been active for a decade and a half since this demo came out, Agalloch has certainly developed and refined their sounds very well. Along the way, they have released some absolutely majestic music. With this demo, it is proven that even from the very inception of their work, they knew what direction they were going in. Things are obviously in a very rough and unpolished state here, but as band demonstrations go, this is one of the best I've heard in the realm of metal.

The sound here is alot more along the lines of black metal than on latter releases. Inhuman shrieks, fast paced tremolo picking and a generally lo-fi sound all contribute to the classic 'black' sound. However, even this early on, there is still alot going on that makes the sound unique. There is the presence of more acoustically based instruments, the signature clean vocals of future frontman John Haughm and the same feeling of despair and melancholy that has attracted the band such a dedicated fanbase.

I personally find the low fidelity production to be not a problem at all; all of the instruments and melodies can still be heard. The musicianship here isn't quite up to par with later work however. Shane Breyer's black metal vocal work does not appeal to me nearly as much as the raspier snarl of Haughm, who would later take up all singing roles. Also, things are not quite as tight as they could be, particularly the drumwork; a problem that would also be solved with John Haughm's subsequent switch to guitar and vocal work.

While fans are certainly going to get the most out of this EP, this is one of the few demos I can listen to without simply getting a fan's satisfaction. There is musical depth here in any case, and while only those with an existing appreciation of black metal will take this demo to heart, there is quite a bit else going on here.

I was very pleasantly suprised by this demo. I had always heard Agalloch's name thrown around when anyone mentions genre-breaking bands, and I downloaded their discography, and did nothing about it. Then, later (actually, only about December of last year...) I finally gave them a listen, starting chronologically.

This demo, is simply put, one of my favorite forays into the Agallochian world. It starts off with a blazing melody in "The Wilderness" and succeeds in grasping the listener's attention with the simplistic musicianship that Agalloch would later be famous for. The only inherintly wrong with this track is the final movement, while a good riff. It repeats for three minutes. THREE MINUTES. That is probably the nail in the 99% for this demo.

The second track, As Embers Dress The Sky, which would be re-recorded for their first full-length "Pale Folklore," is another metallic song. Starting off with a simple catchy lead and clean vocals utilized well as melodic background it slowly evolves into a variation of the intro riff. Which is where I make my thesis that Agalloch are an ever-evolving band, ever-so-slowly. From the days of Pale Folklore to Ashes Against The Grain, they're always evolving. Anyways, back to the song, Mr. Haughm unleashes (probably) his lowest harsh vocal performance in Agalloch history on this version of the song. The simple, catchy lead returns later in the song, with female vocals backing it up this time, and tastefully, not annoying like certain bands (Later Cradle Of Filth...?)

Moving on to the third track "Foliorum Viridum." Not much to say besides it is a brooding, emotional instrumental piece. It should've only been 2:44 long, but due to recording processes, was combined with the first three minutes of "This Old Cabin."

Which is, if I may say so, one of Agalloch's best tracks. An amazing intro (well, if you're starting from the actual 10 minute track), led into a distorted variation of that riff. Very melancholic riff, very passionate vocals. This song, as many Agalloch fans attest, should've been re-recorded. One of my all-time favorite Agalloch riffs begins at the 1:06 mark. This riff is the climactic beauty of any Agalloch riff. Melodic, dark playing from one guitar and "epic" playing from the other guitar, and plenty of energy. The song continues with the variation of the intro, eventually varying that riff itself. Then it breaks into a short acoustic section with a very small lead. Then into another variation of the intro, and a lead-like riff. Very deep and moving. This riff continues for awhile, letting the listener take in it's meaning. Many other similar riffs follow in the song.

Overall, not the best starting point for a metal newbie, but it is a completely viable release with no filler, and absolutely no dissapointments. If you're a metal fan, or an Agalloch fan, I recommend that you download this demo, as there were only 300 copies printed.

This demo has blown me away. I was so surprised and pleased at how it was put together. Being an Agalloch fan for some time and finally finding this demo for download it was worth the wait. But, of course this demo has its flaws... it is a demo after all!


The opening track, "The Wilderness" (11:01), has some nice riffs in it and I like the beat of the drums. The guitars harmonize with each other at some point later in the song, which reminds me of the later Agalloch. A flaw in this song is that it is a repetitive and ultimately boring, in a sense, and contains no real high points of excitement.

"As Embers Dress The Sky" (7:49) is next in the line up. This song was "redone" on a later album (Pale Folklore) and maybe more familiar to some. When listening to the later version of this song and then comparing it with this version you may hear some similarities and differences. The similarity that I find is how the song is put together as a whole. Compared to the later version it's cool to see how their sound has changed. A difference in the song that I find is the acoustic part sounds different. It seems a lot quieter than the early version and has more of an echo to it. Something that I didn't really like about this song is how "sloppy" and out of beat it seemed coming out of the acoustic part. But, it is a demo after all and it being that is acceptable. Overall I find this a enjoyable and interesting song to compare to the later version.

Next up is "Foliorum Vidium" (5:46). "Foliorum Vidium" is also "remade" on a later EP (Of Stone, Wind, and Pillor) and like "As Embers Dress The Sky" has similar qualities to the later remake. Though it is a wonderful instrumental piece it does contain some flaws. It goes from being a nice instrumental piece to something almost entirely different in the same song. It kind of reminds me of someone being bi-polar. Let's think about this; a person goes from being a quite, nice, and easy going person (the more softer instrumental part) to something entirely different and at a different pace than the other (the "second" half of the song). The "second half" of this song, which I believe begins around 2:46, seems like it should be the beginning of the next song that is "This Old Cabin". This song also contains some flaws of a different type. One flaw is that you can tell when they pieced it together and it does seem off in some spots. Going back to it all you have to keep in mind that it is a demo and not going to be perfect.

Now moving to the next song that is "This Old Cabin" (10:07). I find this song to be the best out of the whole demo. It has a "high" and "exciting" points like later Agalloch songs and is very enjoyable. This song was never re-recorded but some believe that it should have been. I personally wish they would have re-recorded it but who knows what the future may hold. The riffs on this song are amazing and everything is put together so well. Though the flaws include the usual: you can tell where they pieced it together and is off in some spots. I think that they may have "recycled" some riffs onto their first full-length album, Pale Folklore. One song that you can recognize some "recycled" riffs is in "She Painted Across the Skyline Pt. 1" which shows in 1:47-the recycled riff occurs in about 4:42. Though, that maybe just me that notices that.

Overall I find this demo to be amazing. Yes, it has some flaws but the instrumental is surprisingly good for being a demo. Though I would not really recommend this the first thing a person that is wants to get into Agalloch to listen to. For a more "seasoned" Agalloch fan I would recommend that you do check this album out just so you can grasp just how far they have come.

I am quite an Agalloch fan, and considering all of their later work is absolutely amazing I really expected something a little bit more from this demo. It is a demo however, and certain flaws are going to be present not matter the case. However, since I didn't get into Agalloch until their later albums, I just naturally expected more and it probably affected my judgment.

My main complaint is that this album is more then anything boring. No real high points come to me until the last track, which is more what I was looking for from Agalloch. The album just kindda goes along with no real stimulation be made, and very little effort being put into entertaining riffing.

Another problem I found with this album is the drumming. At various points in the song it goes off beat a bit, or has odd little bits that doesn't really fit where they are supposed to. Once again, attributed to the whole demo stage, but none-the-less, a detractor from the album.

Vocally, I found it standard for Agalloch, but instead of being inspiring and strong, I found it weak. When the vocals actually make an appearance, they don't really convey much strength or passion that I find in later albums.

Overall, this album is boring, but possibly worth it for die-hard Agalloch collectors, especially for fans of the follow up releases.

For a demo, I believe this is really amazing. I believe it is truly a foreshadowing of what the band will do in the future. It is basically similar to Pale Folklore, with much more raw production and unrefined vocals (sound closer to death metal style vocals than what they would later be), but it still captures the dark atmosphere of Agalloch and is very addicting to me. It starts off with “The Wilderness” which is a very decent song, contains some excellent riffs, and eventually some essential twin-guitar harmonies found all over Pale Folklore. This song is probably the least exciting on the album though. Next is an older version of "As Embers Dress the Sky" which I think is equally good compared to the later version of it, but it's interesting to hear how it got started. Most of it sounds exactly the same except with poorer production, but that really brings an alternate atmosphere to the song. The incredible 2-minute acoustic interlude sounds much softer then it later would and has a little more echo, it’s like looking at it under a new light (which is actually an old light, but most people would hear Pale Folklore first). The moment after right after this is much more aggressive then on PF and draws a great close to the song.

“Foliorum Vidium” sounds exactly like it did on the EP after Pale Folklore, an amazing instrumental piece. Despite some confusion, this song actually is supposed to end at 2:41, not continue on with the metal riffing. That is the first part of “This Old Cabin,” and seems to make perfect sense since it seems really out of place with the rest of the calm instrumental passage. I witnessed a discussion about this that the band members actually cleared up on their record label’s official forum so I know it’s true. "This Old Cabin" is the real treat here, I wish they would have also re-recorded it and put it on Pale Folklore. It has 13 minutes of amazing riffs, incredible chilling atmosphere, and is really more interesting than some songs on PF (like Dead Winter Days). There is even a short acoustic part (5:43 on the REAL track length) that made it somewhere into PF but I can’t put my finger on it, and they build upon it very differently here.

This is not attainable on CD or vinyl, and there are very limited and hard to find cassette tapes of it, (like, 10 of them) but I've been enjoying it very much lately on MP3. Try to download this demo, which is pretty much the only way to hear it, unfortunately. If it was actually released then I’d buy it for sure. They should really release it along with the 1998 demo (which I haven’t heard anything from and I’m very interested in doing so) but that’s never going to happen. If you like Pale Folklore as much as me, this is basically an addition to it.

From Which of this Oak, while quite good for a demo, is really not an accurate indicator of the great things Agalloch would do in the future. Much of this basically sounds like a “grey metal” Ulver, and many of the non-metal ideas Haughm would later perfect on The Mantle are not yet fully developed here.

We start off with “The Wilderness,” which features some nice metal riffing, harmonized guitars, and even some awkwardly-placed blastbeats (yuck). Some of the twin-guitar work here sounds slightly Gothenburg, but I won’t go there. It’s not enough to get worked up about.

First of all, the next track, “As Embers Dress the Sky,” is better served by the re-recorded version on Pale Folklore. That being said--It starts off with some riffing that will bring to mind such later songs as “I Am the Wooden Doors”. The lead guitar here is nice, followed by some distant clean vocals. The guitar work in general here not only recalls early Ulver, but I’d say early Opeth as well. After some female vocals at about 3:23, we have a clean guitar passage, which is nice, but not entirely necessary. Once the metal gets going again, we have a specific lead riff that reminds me heavily of The Jester Race...

“Foliorum Vidium” starts off with piano and choir-like vocals, moving into a great Agalloch interlude, such as we’d see later in “The Misshapen Steed”. If you know the Finnish ambient group Nest, the first section of this track sounds a lot like them. At about 2:41, the song stops, and resumes with a simple bass line. This eventually leads to another twin-guitar passage and more grey riffing, not really anything special.

“This Old Cabin” is basically more of the same “grey metal” stuff, but something is still lacking here. The clean passage at 2:38 flows surprisingly well into a nice distorted lead part. About halfway through the track we have some interesting riffs, and the song continues to improve as it nears its end.

All in all this is a must for Agalloch fans, but by NO means should anyone start here. While it does give the listener a good look at the “grey metal” style Agalloch would vastly improve on their first full-length, Pale Folklore, it does not demonstrate the full potential they’d later realize.