Barrowlands - Tyndir

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BARROWLANDS is a Progressive Black Metal band formed in Portland, Oregon, USA in 2011. The band formed from the remnants of Black Metal band MARY SHELLEY and Progressive Metal band LYKAIA. To date, they have released a debut full length “Thane” in 2014, and now present their latest “Tyndir,” which contains five tracks, with a total running time of 43 minutes. “Tyndir” is a Norse word that speaks of the tension between man and nature, and man’s realization that nature will eventually claim everything back.

“Hyperion” has a fairly traditional Black Metal sound out of the gates, with fast-picked guitar sections and wretched screams in the vocals. What follows are varying passages where the main riff changes, but always with a note of despondence. “Light of a Dead Star” is similar in length and scope. They have a harrowing sound here but it is not high in the area of diversity. Some of the short ambient passages break up the madness nicely and allow you some time for sorrowful contemplation however. “Wind and Rain” is a bit longer, at about nine minutes. This mid-tempo song follows a linear riff and pace for the most part, and is led dramatically by the vocal screams. Agonizing in scope, they definitely remind you of the dark places in the world. The familiar drone that accompanies a lot of Black Metal is pretty marked here as well.

“Woodland Rebirth” has a pretty opening, like witnessing morning fog lifting from the bed of a forest, as the sun peaks over the mountains. But it quickly turns dark again, with a grinding riff and angry, incensed vocals. It picks up speed at the end however, and I like the diversity presented in this track. “Empty Hands Grasping” closes the album. Following some opening chaos, there is a nice ambient passage with clean guitar notes that are hypnotic in their delivery. Alternating passages of aggression and grace take the track to completion. Overall, this was an enjoyable Black Metal release with enough tradition in the genre to please purists, as well as some breathable atmospheric moments to break up the chaos. Give this a try!

Songwriting: 7
Originality: 7
Memorability: 7
Production: 6