EPILOG

This album features some very nice (entirely instrumental) material, but I liked Hybris better. The Swedish lyrics seem to fit better with the music (except in the case of Jordrok, an amazing song).

This album begins with some classical flute and violin work, then enters the excellent instrumental "Eaves of the Forest," which is constantly building and fading. The band again functions as a single instrument here. This track ends with a buildiup from some simple bass and drum into a full blown fiery instrumental. Wonderful.

The next track, "The Voice" blew my mind. It's only 15 seconds long, and features a few barely audible bumps and thumps. Amazing stuff! Amazing that anyone would want to include something so pointless! Maybe the liner notes explain, but I can't read Swedish. But this track is inconsequential anyway.

The next two songs are also instrumental, in the same form as most ANGLAGARD material. Not too much to explain here, you should listen for yourself. Then the album ends much the way it began, this time with a melancholy classic piano piece exactly as long as the opener.

Overall, this album's sheer inobtainability takes it immediately down from essential. Then you include that factor that "Hybris" was better (in my opinion), then you add the mediocre prelude and postlude (if postlude is indeed a word) and the amazingly pointless interlude and you have something that is 3.5 stars and worth a listen to anyone who can import it online (or get it elsewhere online).