You can’t help but tip your hat to a band that strives to preserve their favorite kind of music by playing it over a decade after the fact and actually still doing it justice. If you didn’t know better, WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM wouldn’t be all that distinguishable from the era these days best described as the origin of post-black metal: the days when bands like ULVER, BORKNAGAR and VED BUENS ENDE popped out of nowhere to prove that raw, primitive metal can also be a tasteful artistic statement. This is precisely the movement that W.I.T.T.R. is paying tribute to with their latest opus “Diadem of 12 Stars”, and if you like adventurous black metal then by all means keep reading.

For starters: yes, these guys are American. It may be difficult for some people to get used to listening to black metal not performed by guys who’ve ripped names off of obscure Sumerian deities or Tolkien villains (not that there are any left). These guys are named Aaron, Rick and Nathan. Get over it. Next, these songs are very, very long… longer than the compositions of the bands that influenced them. You have an hour of music that consists of four tracks that average 15 minutes each in length. While this would normally be a deterrent, they don’t just draw out one riff for 15 minutes, and the riffs that they do draw out have a nice hypnotic effect. They definitely have an ear for the style and come up with compositions that manage to sound interesting and don’t leave them looking like wannabes. Also, yes there are female vocals here and there, but they’re scant, faint and more for haunting effect as opposed to overbearing you in the forefront. And hell, if you have no other reason to buy this CD, there are naked ladies on the inside jacket, and that’s always a plus.

As previously stated, “Diadem of 12 Stars” is a throwback to an exciting period in black metal that now has the opportunity to live on in a new decade (and, apparently, a new region). So if you don’t mind lengthy compositions and are a fan of the aforementioned bands, you really have no reason not to give W.I.T.T.R. a listen.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/wolvesinthethroneroom

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