THE LONG ROAD NORTH

Cult of Luna's latest "The Long Road North" is not ground-breaking, iconic, experimental or any of those other clichés often thrown around by music aficionados to classify typical metal releases.

The band knows what they do best and this album confirms that they are one of the best in that particular neck of the post metal woods. This one has all the typical CoL signatures - giant tsunami-like riffs (Cold Burn, The Long Road North), gorgeous, groovy patterns (The Silver Arc, Blood Upon Stone) thunderclap-inducing drumming (An Offering to the Wild) and intricate, almost gentle interludes (Into The Night) plus a few "crazies" (Beyond I) thrown in for good measure.

For my part, I've gotten used to the guttural growls and developed the patience to wait through them for the eventual musical eruptions...but they are definitely an "optional extra" that deters from the brilliant instrumentation.

The Long Road North is similar enough to Dawn of Fear to draw you in to a signature CoL trance and evolved enough to stand apart as the next step in their journey.

A solid 4 stars.