The term “one-man black metal” conjures up negative images for most. While a small number of projects driven by single artists have brought some hugely important black metal albums of the past 20 years – albums by Leviathan, Judas Iscariot, and Xasthur, to name more familiar acts – “one-man black metal” is associated with a stereotype of light-hating, scrawny white kids doing their best to ape Transylvanian Hunger with static-ridden guitars and Casio drum machines on their laptop to release badly dubbed cassettes to their “inner circle.” In short, this niche of black metal tends to run high on unintentional comedy and low on creativity. Tennessee’s Twilight Fauna breaks free from these tropes in a number of ways, and the latest effort, Shadows of Ancestors, has a natural artistic maturity from the project’s sole member, Ravenwood.
Unlike many black metal solo acts who focus on such enlightening topics such Satan, Anti-Christianity, “darkness” (however you define that), or suicide, Ravenwood’s primary focus in Twilight Fauna is to tell the stories of Appalachia from both a personal and historical perspective. Not only are traditional Appalachian instruments infused into Twilight Fauna’s brand of ambient, sprawling metal, but a notable post-rock influence is woven in as well, creating a sound that is savage, cinematic, and deeply introspective all at once. Shadows of Ancestors is by far the most accomplished output from Twilight Fauna to date, building on the great success of last year’s Hymns of a Forgotten Homeland while not resting on its laurels.
“Helical Rising” starts Shadows of Ancestors with a lone tin whistle before washy, reverbed-out guitars descend with melodies rooted as much in black metal tradition as much as the stoic beauty of neofolk. If you stripped the gritty guitar distortion, you would be left with something not out of place on any Drudkh album or Agalloch’s folk EPs. The same can be said for “Purging of Spring,” which drips with wistful post-rock atmosphere, nearly uplifting even in its gnarled, monochrome ambience before switching gears to eerie minor key riffs while maintaining the same seemingly upbeat strumming pattern. Just when a listener experiences one of the deepest emotional lows on the album halfway through this track, the guitars fade out and make way for a strummed dulcimer and tin whistle, bringing a sense of reprieve before one of the most massive riffs of Shadows of Ancestors enters, constantly layering on itself to a point of saturation as violins are added to the mix. “Boring the Auger” shows Ravenwood striking a different path from the usual works of Twilight Fauna, building on a post-rock foundation before heavily modulated chords swell in with a sound that nearly borders on ambient funeral doom for the song’s remainder. Cuts like this show not just Ravenwood’s distinct artistic identity, but a more developed songwriting craft; whereas earlier efforts placed the traditional Appalachian instruments in their own sections, traditional music is grafted into the metal here with far more finesse and tastefulness than can be said for most “folk metal” acts, who commonly border on self-parody and novelty. Not so in the works of Twilight Fauna. The themes and message behind Shadows of Ancestors document the plight and the joys of one of the most misunderstood groups in history – native Appalachians.
Shadows of Ancestors’ closer “Coffin Nails and Apple Trees” is one of the most daring forays into atmosphere for Ravenwood. Closer to his stark work in the neofolk project Green Elder, acoustic guitars pluck out a desolate, mournful melody as the vocals, nearly whispers, tell a tale of loss: “The lights stream/And I’m sure it’s you/Calling to me.” It’s clear from the lyrics that this is the most personal song on the album, and before long, a riff that calls to mind Bathory’s Viking era serves as the foundation as the closer lurches toward the song’s powerful finale, ending the album with a clear sense of resolution. It is, in my mind, the most memorable and powerful song that Twilight Fauna has recorded to date.
Shadows of Ancestors is not typical atmospheric black metal by any means: With the heavy amount of Appalachian and post-rock influence, drums are noticeably absent (a deliberate artistic choice, no doubt), leaving the listener to get lost in waves of layered guitars, ghostly screams, and a very palpable sense of longing. The fact that this is not rhythm-driven metal makes it all the more fascinating, and it bears more resemblance to soundscapes than metal music proper. Such an approach, however, makes for intensely frustrating listening at first. That being said, when it finally clicks, the work of Twilight Fauna sums up what musical catharsis can really look like. Shadows of Ancestors really is a journey from beginning to end, and while its prime characteristics may be off-putting to new listeners, it is fully worth the endeavor. It is quite unlike anything else you’ll hear in the metal genre and is a high-water mark for Twilight Fauna.
Rating: 4/5
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