This album starts off with “Watch the Lights Fade”, and for an intro from Panopticon, this is 100% what I want to hear. I love just how somber this is. It comes off like some warm, campfire song. But in moments like this, Panopticon show off just how deep they can be. They may be a metal band, but this incredibly somber tune is just brilliant. The guitars are weary, and when those drums pop in things get epic fast. In a time where so many interludes and instrumentals miss the mark, Panopticon makes it look easy. Not to mention, so many of the ambient sounds here are incredibly well placed. “En Hvit Ravns Død” is up next, and my friends, this was bound to happen. Panopticon tears into this Metal jam quickly. I feel like, with each passing second, Panopticon just seem to constantly get bigger and more epic, and that’ certainly the case here. It’s intense and grandiose, but I would be lying if I didn’t say there wasn’t almost a warmness to this deep down. Which yea certainly goes away, but it’s a nice touch. I love just how grizzly Austin Lunn comes off here. Obviously, he’s made a career of coming off so vicious and cutting. But his vocals on this one are genuinely monstrous. Some of the instrumental breaks, especially those drum fills and guitar solos have come so far. Like, compare this to the early days when they were just starting out with scuzzy production. They’ve come incredibly far, and this is an entirely different animal. Panopticon is back with a band ladies and gentlemen. Also, that Folk breakdown comes off so well placed, only to come back and bombard you with this epic and triumphant Black Metal passage. Panopticon has done something so special, by remaining one of the heaviest bands of American Metal, while bringing in boatloads of emotion. But that’s all wiped out with the absolutely pummeling riff starting out “Blåtimen”. I feel like Panopticon is so good at outdoing themselves. Every time I hear a track from them, I sit there and think “well it can’t get much more intense”. Then I hear this, and it’s like “Oh yeah, it certainly can”. This one is jam-packed with some near satanic vocals and melodic guitars jumping all over the place, as they’re just so mysterious and shrouded in everything else booming throughout this track. It’s intense, monstrous, and most importantly has this grandiose feel that you can only get in Black Metal. The one thing that is sort of missing from “Blåtimen” is the subtle Folk influences. But between the impassioned and emotional guitar solos and the breakneck drums, this is just fine. Panopticon doesn’t give you a single second to digest anything before the arrival of “Sheep In Wolves Clothing”. This bursts into the most vicious and most unforgiving track right away. Of the tracks on this first part, this is the most Metal track here. There’s no epic vision, there’s just pummeling riffs coming at you from all directions. And to be honest, it’s not exactly my favorite track here. It’s a solid tune, but this just sounds to me like it could be any Black Metal band from any continent. Nothing about this track, in particular, tells me this is Panopticon at all. Like, I have to commend this one for its ferocity, but outside of that, I don’t have nearly as much to say as I would hope. I’ll be honest, I’’m more interested in that accordion solo that ends this one off, at least there’s some emotion there.
This first disc pummels on with “A Ridge Where the Tall Pines Once Stood”. Here, we’re back to a much more Panopticon feel in this interlude, which I’m still so glad they can string together. I mean, it’s an interlude from these guys, there’s not a ton to report. There are some very warm instrumentals that make you feel like you’re in a cabin in the dead of winter, there are some very effective ambient sounds as well. Not to mention, we get another voiceover from Austin like we have plenty in the past. And while yes, it’s a little preachy, I think it comes of very well. And when the instrumentals slowly start to make their way in, both Metal and Folk, this becomes epic very fast. Panopticon’s sound, when they do it right continues to be incredibly fresh. And from the sound of “En Generell Avsky” they really have their mojo back. This is the sort of slightly melodic, strangely technical and intense Black Metal tune that has plenty going on that I want to hear. I can’t stress “technical” enough though, as this one has some very hard to place instrumentals. I have to say though, it’s rather refreshing. Austin’s vocals once again are at the core of this all, seemingly being completely shrouded in mystery. But that’s where I honestly love to hear him, in the midst of this epic whirlwind. Remember that cabin we could easily picture ourselves in a few minutes ago? Well clearly, there’s a blizzard going on right now. On the other hand, I have no idea where “The Singing Wilderness” came from. This track is just so triumphant and gigantic. It’s moments like this that I instantly get sucked in and there’s no chance of me getting out. The guitars are soaring, the drums are intense, and everything else about this track is just so wild. Once again, Austin is swallowed whole by this, with his genuinely tortured shrieks bellowing from the center of this madness. It’s moments like this that take Panopticon to the next level, and remind us that there not just penning Black Metal tunes with a Folk twist. No, Panopticon in cases like this, are penning epics that demand to be listened to. “The Singing Wilderness” simply doesn’t let up, whether it be with blistering verses or mind-bending solos, this one is just unforgiving. But I think what makes Panopticon so special is, that they wrap it up in a way that’s really easy to digest. This isn’t Black Metal that demands dozens of listens. Even though these tracks are near 10 minutes in length, it’s not a chore to sit through them. And no matter how intense or wild things get, panopticon somehow, some way give it a strangely warm feel. “Snow Burdened Branches” starts off with a sound clip, which I don’t personally hate. You can argue that it’s a little preachy, and it certainly might be. But this certainly comes off a little more concrete then most of the spoken word on “Kentucky”. But I have to give credit where it’s due, some of the instrumentals that follow this instantly are some of the most ridiculously, gigantic and epic we’ve heard yet. Especially that love guitar which seems to be navigating this hailstorm all by itself. It’s moments like this that seriously put a gigantic smile on my face and make me love this genre. This track is ridiculous, with the sheer ferocity of this one being a selling point on it’s own. But Panopticon continue to make this very easy to take in. Not to mention, Austin’s vocals are continuously getting more cutting is such a great element. I mean yea, if you’re not into Black Metal, hearing all of these very wild, love performances one after another is going to be a tough listen. But if you’re a fan of this genre or Panopticon, check this out pronto. But you may be asking yourself, where is all the Bluegrass, Folk, etc? Well, I’m glad you asked.
This album continues on with "Not Much Will Change When I'm Gone". I mean, if they are going to continue to pursue a little more down this stripped-down route, which in the long run may not be terrible, the bluesy way is the way to go. But I don't know, I just feel like way too many of Austin's vocals don't go over nearly as good as he thinks. Like, when Panopticon would limit these tracks to interludes, they played it safe. Here, Austin may sound on the husky side, but he also sounds exhausted. I do however, like the very Southern approach to Blues here, as well as the longing instrumentals. The solos here are actually commendable, and I really do love the pacing on this one. But I just have had it with this entire second disk. Like, why was this necessary? Who thought over an hour of this was a good idea? But hey now! "Echoes in the Snow" is a legitimately fantastic concept. This one is the same upbeat, sort of folky, sort of Country track. But it's also well within the realm of Panopticon. It's rugged, filled with atmosphere, and sounds like a totally plausible and interesting interlude. Whether Panopticon know it or not, they have a near perfect album within this double album, but it needs some rearranging. But for every track like that, we get a track like "The Itch" which at this point is actually putting me to sleep. I'm down for the band stripping down their sound for some Bluegrass, it fits their image and it's their signature sound. But this sort of sleepy-eyed folk is genuinely laughable, and Austin sounds incredibly awkward. "At the Foot of the Mountain" continues to be perfectly fine with no major issues. But I need something to break this up a little and give me a little energy. I do in fact LOVE just how grizzled and beaten down Austin sounds, and that slide guitar is certainly welcome. But I need a break from this. There are some nice elements, but the fact that also goes on for 9 minutes is way too much, even for someone who's used to the style of Panopticon. Even just how emotional this once is just doesn't do it nearly as much as it usually would. I do think there is enough here to check this track out, like those strings that come off so gigantic. The last few minutes here are actually really well done, with the drums that pop in as well as other instrumentals. Honestly, this track would have been so much more interesting if it was just that. This 2-hour + album finishes off with "The Devil Walked the Woods". And on the other hand, this actually comes off like a decent interlude, not nearly a finale though. Like, I love how genuinely twisted and dark this comes off. Once again, I feel like this album has enough decent material for one album, not two. This is just way too much of a cliffhanger for my liking, and after all the decent material here, is a little disappointing.
Rating: 7.8/10
Give A Listen To: “En Hvit Ravns Død”, " The Singing Wilderness", " Snow Burdened Branches”, “The Wandering Ghost”,
Genre: Black Metal / Folk Metal / Bluegrass / Post Metal / Legit Country
Overall Thoughts: Panopticon have returned after a few years, with which on paper should be their most ambitious and interesting album to date. Panopticon here give us not one, but two albums, the first being entirely the blistering, epic Black Metal that has gotten them the fame to begin with, with little to no downtime. The second disc however, shows Panopticon going deep into the black hole of Bluegrass and Folk. Which, like I said, on paper sounds wildly ambitious and exciting. However, I feel like this double album is quite frankly too much. If you take each album as a completely separate entity you may dig this a whole lot more. But what lured me to love Panopticon for years was the contrast. I loved the back and forth, going between intense Black Metal and endearing Folk. Hearing both elements for an hour each with nothing to break up the monotony is a lot for anyone. I do think there's an incredible album buried in all of these tracks, I really do. But a lot of the placement of tracks and the layout of this album is questionable. Still, there's a lot of great stuff here that's worth a listen.
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