TEN STONES

My journey with 16HP and Wovenhand ended in 2006 with Mosaic, where I found D.E. Edwards starting to repeat his same old mantra too much. When finding Wovenhand on PA (much to my surprise) I finally checked his more recent albums. Much to my delight!

Right from the opening bars of The Beautiful Axe we hear D.E. Edwards on the edge of his seat, it's a nervous rock song showing an intricate arrangement that immediately reminded me of Popol Vuh's later rock albums (Das Hohelied Salomos and Lätzte Tage Lätzte Nächte). Wovenhand had always been an original and non-conformist indie band, but with the sophisticated rocking approach they take here, the term Prog-Folk doesn't sound all that far-fetched anymore.

The series of haunting rock songs continues till Cohawkin Road where Edwards returns to his known gothic folk balladry. Iron Feather continues the more atmospheric approach. It is on songs like this that Wovenhand resembles early Nick Cave songs like Stranger Then Kindness and The Carny. The second half of the album starts on a lighter and slightly humorous/bizarre tone with the heavy country blues stomp White Knuckle Grip. A morbid cover of Quiet Nights brings us back into Edwards chilling and fear-ridden universe, from which we find no escape for the remainder of the album.

There aren't any off-days in Edwards musical output, but even so this album easily stands out, for its diversity, song quality and of course, its scaring intensity and haunting 'fear of the Lord'. Much recommended as an introduction to the artist.