The Ancient Glory

I'm a sucker for epic, summoning-ish stuff in theory. In practice, most of the bands I've sampled have applied the general formula- long, repetitive tunes, cheesy synths bleatin' everywhere, kooky drum programming- without realizing what makes the original masters so good. The long flowing melodies, the fantastic polyphony, the intangibly great atmosphere; the end result being a overload of cheesy synths that don't achieve anything and take a very long time doing so. Rivendell is a relatively rare exception; I think it's that the man behind it isn't just trying to rip off Summoning at the expense of all else. He has his own vision, and while it's perhaps not that different, it's engaging enough to certainly justify giving this a listen.

Oh, it's not perfect, no doubt about that. The clean vocals tend to copy the guitar melodies almost note for note, there's a few obvious moments where guitar riffs have been pasted together on pro tools- abrupt changes in volume and tone etc. That can be put aside when the material is this strong, though. It's not always the most epic thing ever, and that's fine- it's about painting an effective aural picture. I'm quite fond of Aragorn as an example of why this album works. It doesn't try to out Summoning anyone, it doesn't have 400 keyboard layers, but the tempo changes work really well and the simple, burzum-ish riffs suit the bubbling, floating synths perfectly. It tells a story, it paints a picture, it takes you on a journey, and it's great. I also have to give credit to Durin's Halls, which kicks along with a pretty neat 6/8 to 7/8 main riff. It's a very simple but very fun deal, and throughout the album you can just see how well balanced this is- it's rather simple music but it just sits perfectly between having these long, epic ambitions and being particularly songy.

Let's talk about the atmosphere for a second. For an album that's just a bunch of simple, mid-paced black metal riffs and woodlandy synths, it is remarkably immersive. Yeah, I can see myself thrashing this through the oncoming winter, on those deep south trips through the forest looking for waves and whatnot. It's always high praise when an album goes for a lot longer than you think it does, in my opinion, and that certainly applies. Again, it's just a reflection on how this album manages to keep you entertained and enthralled throughout. Like any good fantasy book, really.

To conclude then: this was a somewhat hard album to review because I'd rather just be listening to the album and taking it in then thinking about it too much. Consider that a very high recommendation.

Although there are thousands of bands that write about the history and happenings in Middle Earth, a select few actually manage to pull it off. Rivendell is definitely the best of the bunch.

The album has an extremely epic feel throughout, giving you a sense of grandness and adventure. The guitars aren’t overpowering, and fit in perfectly with the atmosphere of the music. The drums, while not overly aggressive or unique, are played well. The bass is the same way. Noticeable but not obnoxious. There are a few various instruments spread throughout the album as well, which give the music a bit of a folky feel without going over the top,. They simply add to the atmosphere. The vocals are, in my opinion, the best part of the entire album. The growls are amazing, and seem natural, not forced, as some singers tend to sound. They fit the music beautifully, and give a grim and serious feel to the music. The clean vocals are great as well, and add to the depth of the album while showcasing Falagar’s voice. All of the lyrics are taken from The Lord of the Rings, and I believe are slightly modified to flow better in parts. The only song not taken from the books is Aragorn Son Of Arathorn.

The music ranges from fast paced, heavy riffs perfect for head banging to slow, melodic parts using an acoustic guitar. The transitions between the fast and slow are good, and seem to fit into place well. The final mix is excellent, and the instrument recording are solid with no noticeable screw ups.

Once you listen to the album, you’ll understand why I used the phrase it fits so often. The whole album comes together perfectly, creating a unique masterpiece that would be fit in to nearly ever metal collection\ without any trouble. I put in on my Zune nearly two years ago, and it hasn’t come off yet, and continues to be my most listened to album. Once you get it, it will probably be the same.

JRR Tolkien would either be flattered or appalled at the number of Metal bands that use his music as a lyrical fodder. Typically this sort of “Tolkien Metal" is better suited for the Power Metal crowd but Rivendell pulls it off surprisingly well with conviction and heart.

The production is good and complements the songs contained within. The guitars are light for the most part (probably tuned to standard). There is a healthy amount of acoustic guitar utilized as well. There are also keyboards and some woodwinds.

The bass just follows the drums, but sounds alright. The drums are fairly standard for the style but work well given the unique musical approach. There is only one screw up in the middle of the album where the double bass starts late and ends late.

The vocals are the down fall as Falagar is a shitty singer. His grim voice is good and should have been used the entire recording. His cleans are mostly off key, but work when he's not trying to hard.

Over all, this is an incredibly good debut given that its a one man band. This is a fairly ambitious release as well, given the various instruments and the vast amount of atmosphere. This is a very epic yet laid back release. Calling this pure Black Metal wouldn't be accurate because there are some rather flagrant Doom-esq undertones.

This is a highly recommended CD for those who like original music as well as epic, atmospheric Metal.