Crank this to 9.3 of 11 - Editor's Pick
Released: 2021
Genre: Post-Black metal
Sounds Like: Alcest, Agalloch, Harakiri for the Sky
Homeland: Washington
Album Overview
A Distant Fire, the band's fourth release is one of the more textured Black metal albums to hit our rotation in quite some time
Alda are taking Black metal to new heights. It’s a beautifully written dark album with moments of euphoric Post-rock, meditative acoustics and modern progressive doom
The vocals are mostly typical with what you would expect with Black metal. However, there are moments of uplifting backing vocals
We absolutely love when the viola and cello kick in, adding a peaceful and heartfelt dimension
The tracks are so involved and well structured. We are floored with the various tempo changes of "Drawn Away". It goes from peaceful acoustics to Post-rock, than they hit you with the onslaught of Black metal... fucking great!
This album is an absolute gem and is a great companion for your next hiking excursion. It sounds tremendous as we head into the cooler months
Track Listing:
1. First Light 3:18
2. Stonebreaker 8:28
3. Drawn Astray 10:19
4. Forlorn Peaks 9:40
5. Loo-Wit 2:11
6. A Distant Fire 16:37
Standout Track(s)
A Distant Fire
Running just over 16 minutes, this could be the song of the year. This is one hell of a fantastic tune. We begin with rustic acoustics and a low toned bass. The vocals match the somber mood until the relentless speed fretwork kicks in. The song takes an interesting turn towards some progressive sludgey blackened metal. We are then blessed with some Pallbearer-like doom, it’s a fucking brilliant turn of events.
Now the acoustics come back to life with ominous chants… I mean, can it get any better? The song keeps building and transitioning with post-metal euphoria. The song winds down with fading guitars and sounds of birds, acoustics and what sounds like kindling in the distance, we couldn’t think of a better way to bring the album to a close.
Brew Pairing
2920 Strong Ale by Kane Brewin gin New Jersey. This 12.1% ale is strong with and smooth with unique flavors of plum, raisins, vanilla, caramel and oak. A classic pairing with Alda and the autumn season.
Alda are:
Tim Brown (electric and acoustic guitars, vocals)
Stephanie Bruton (bass guitar, acoustic guitar, cello, vocals)
Jace Bruton (electric and acoustic guitars, vocals)
Michael Korchonnoff (drums, bodhran, acoustic guitar, drones, lead vocals)
Additional Musicians:
Marit Schmidt (viola on First Light and Stonebreaker)
Jake Superchi (additional lead guitar on Stonebreaker)
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