This blog post is part of a series where I've been going into some of my thoughts and philosophies behind putting together thematic playlists.
These Woods are Deep, and our Cities Bleak
(click above for playlist)
I saw Agalloch live about two or three months back. Aside from a slight ringing in my ears that lasted almost 3 days, I took a lot away from that concert.
Agalloch is a hugely influential band in the atmospheric post-metal world that focuses on intense spiritual, naturalistic, and pastoral themes, and their set wasn't just them spitting up several of their hits so they can make crowds walk away feeling satisfied. Their monumental appraise among many metal aficionados is well-earned by the detail and thought put into their live performances. The stage swirled with an incense-laced fog that soothed the senses, the scent of which eventually filled the entirety of the room over the course of the show. Dim lights of blues, greens, and purples, reminiscent of the aurora borealis, danced and built with Agalloch's dramatic intros, creating a dark and brooding atmosphere that was juxtaposed by a strange kind of beauty. A banner in the background of the stage adorned a symbol of an entwined serpent - and similarly, the music of Agalloch twists about between melancholy acoustic interludes that gradually give way to powerful riffs and vocals. It's very clear that not just their lyrical topics, but everything about Agalloch, is done with the goal to invoke the sense that we are part of something larger and more reverent in the natural world. But, whatever it is, we've lost touch with it, instead opting for concrete, and cubicles, and the struggles of a life in a society that is complex and taxing on us.
"These Woods are Deep, and our Cities Bleak" is a playlist that attempts to touch more on the myriad of emotions and imagery brought up by bands with heavy focus on natural themes; such as melancholy, the folly of man, the power of nature on a grand scale, and it's elegance and grace in even the smallest, simple details, like the exotic scents which filled the room at the concert.
If you're picking up what I'm putting down, and you can sit down and really give it a listen, Agalloch's "Ashes Against the Grain" is one of the most thought-provoking albums you'll listen to in your life, as it obviously has been for me.
Other bands are also very noteworthy on this playlist:
David Gold of Woods of Ypres died young and tragically, and leaves behind a sad legacy of music that was once described to me as "speaking to the heart of every man," where Woods of Desolation can somehow invoke amazing imagery with only the wailing of guitars alone. There's simply too much other goodness packed away to get into much more detail here, so please do give it a listen.
Recommended listens (some of my personal library is in this playlist, so some of these links are to youtube versions):
