The Third and The Noble (Reissue)

Wende

If you have been paying even cursory attention to the Black Metal scene over the […]
By Danny Sanderson
February 11, 2015
Wende - The Third and The Noble (Reissue) album cover

If you have been paying even cursory attention to the Black Metal scene over the last few years, you'll know that some of the best and bizarre music is coming out of the US. There are a slew of bands that have been putting out great albums, and in fact some of these bands are putting out albums that are really pushing the genre to new limits. The state of Washington is perhaps of the hotbeds of the scene, having produced such great acts as CEREMONIAL CASTINGS, SACRAMENT OV IMPURITY and of course WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM. WENDE, a one man Black Metal act which hails from the small town of Okanogan in the very north of the state, are a band that are beginning to make a name for themselves somewhat in this most northern of states. Having put out a demo in 2009, quickly followed by two full lengths in succession, WENDE caught the attention of Moribund Records, who promptly singed the band and reissued the first two albums. The latest of these, "The Third and The Noble", is a great example of how Atmospheric Black Metal should be done.

The album opener, "Paths", is a short, yet eerie and dissonant track which gradually eases you into this masterpiece, and prepares you for the spectacle that is about to come. The first proper song on this record, "Jarl's Kin" is more than a little reminiscent of BURZUM, if only with a slightly better production. This is everything a Black Metal song should be; dark, cold and unashamedly low fi and raw. In short, it's brilliant. "Journey of the Unseen Wrath" is likewise a really good piece of music rooted in very old school, raw Black Metal. The riffs carry the atmosphere of the track, and the drums and vocals act as a great backdrop to the awesome guitar work. "Nothingness", the longest and best track on the record, is fast and ferocious right from the opening note, and the music is able, at some points to draw you into an almost trance-like state as it ebbs and flows towards its conclusion. "Sorrowful Journey of the Ages" is, simply put, a raw, stone cold masterpiece of Atmospheric Black Metal, from the harsh, rasping vocals right down to the funeral march of the drums. The sixth track on here, "Onward", manages to blend the Black Metal with some Ambient music in a way that works very well, and has some stand alone guitar pieces that are more than a bit reminiscent of early PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE, at least to my ears, which works incredibly well. And then the track fades away, and the much darker "Beyond the Moon and Beneath the Stars" begins. The pace is much quicker than the previous track, and it's a much more aggressive entity by comparison. "Everything Ends", which serves as the last original track on the album, is a very short song, lasting less than two minutes, but it is nonetheless a great song, much like every other track on this record. And the song that closes this record is actually incredible; it's a Black Metal rendition of "Towards Ragnorak" (or "Moti Ragnorakum" as it appears on the record it was originally from), which was originally one of the finer points of BURZUM's first Darkwave record, "Daudi Baldr". Having listened to the original literally hundreds of times, it's nice to hear this song with fresh ears and an entirely new perspective. It's is ambitious to cover a song by a band you admire, but it takes a brilliant musician to take that song, rework it, and make it their own. This cover serves as a mind-blowing and exciting end to an absolutely fantastic record.

In my humble opinion, this is a criminally under-rated album by a criminally overlooked band. Zamiel should be immensely proud of this record, because he may very well have a future classic of the genre on his hands. After hearing this record, I can safely say that I am extremely excited to see what the upcoming album holds for the band. I would strongly urge you to check this out, especially if you like BURZUM. You will not want to miss what is coming next.<

9 / 10

Almost Perfect

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"The Third and The Noble (Reissue)" Track-listing:

1. Paths
2. Jarl's Kin
3. Journey of the Unseen Wrath
4. Nothingness
5. Sorrowful Journey of the Ages
6. Onward
7. Beyond the Moon and Beneath the Stars
8. Everything Ends
9. Towards Ragnarok (BURZUM Cover)

Wende Lineup:

Zamiel - All Instruments

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