This is the eighth album from US black metallers Wolves in the Throne Room.
Wolves in the Throne Room, kings of atmospheric black metal, have returned. Across 48 minutes of expressive, mood-rich music, Estuary once again reinforces their claim to the crown. Is Estuary the album so many people want it to be?
Nature is famously red in tooth an claw, constantly renewing itself through violence, while retaining in intrinsic appeal that humans find so compelling, despite the harms inflicted upon it daily. This feels like an apt, albeit abstract description of Estuary. It’s a record powered by nature, ripe with passages of both immersive beauty and raw pain. Through apocalyptic renewal, Estuary is a tale of salvation through devastation.
Estuary boasts an evocative darkness that spreads into the listener’s brain. The music weaves tales of ruin and decay, but not without the occasional streak of hope, no matter how wounded it lies.
Wolves in the Throne Room sound vital and dark on Estuary. It’s a mix of aggressive hostility, atmospheric depth, and grim soundscapes. The songwriting brings these elements together in complementary ways, allowing the band to explore terrain that ranges from the harsh to the sublime.
Once touched by the album’s visions of loss and reclamation, it is difficult to avoid falling wholly into Estuary’s prophetic world. It describes a journey hard and unforgiving, yet one that the listener feels compelled to undertake again and again.
In answer to the question posed at the start; yes, it is. Estuary is a triumph of blackened worldbuilding. Wolves in the Throne Room display a mastery of their art that’s enviable, and extremely enjoyable. Don’t miss out on what Estuary has to offer.
Essential listening.
