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It's already been four years since Nest's first full length album Woodsmoke, so this new piece of (literally) fabulous "naturewave" was eagerly expected by now. The time working on it has certainly paid off, as there are many factors which cause this album to rise above its predecessor. First, the basics, though. This album was again released by the Bulgarian Corvus Records, and again there is also a limited edition of 99 copies. That is the one I am treating in this review.
The main improvement over the previous album is the sound. A.T. has put a lot of work in refining the home-recording situation, and that has paid off. The sound of the Kantele, that typically Finnish string instrument, is richer than before, both when used clean and with effects. The same goes for the Lapland drum, which sounds both deep and clear. The greatest profit was made in the synthesizer department, though. The quality of the synths has improved immensely, and this time around, whether it's waves, flutes or horns, it all sounds marvellous. It is very rewarding to listen to this album with headphones, as only then does the album show its richness of sound, also because of the addition of many subtle effects and nature samples.
Another big difference with the previous album is the songwriting. Unlike earlier work, Trail of the Unwary contains almost only long tracks, and they are quite different in structure. "Moonbow" sets the tone for the album, with a gentle buildup and variation between two musical themes. Instead of condensing this into a four or five minute track, this is stretched out over a longer period. This makes the album more ambient most of the time, and perhaps less accessible and catchy. In any case, it requires a different mode of listening. "Kontio" is most like the older work, and my favourite track, though not because of that. It has a very gripping theme, excellent worked out in synth horn and kantele. The song is crowned by the wordless vocals of John Haughm (Agalloch), who is only one of several guest appearances. "Hunt" is quite an innovative track for Nest, being very long, and composed of calm melodic pieces and heavier outbursts, even including distorted kantele. "Across the Waters" starts with the spoken words of Laurie Ann Haus (Todesbonden), and it turns into a nice finishing track.
The aptly named Other CD contains a lot of extra material, that should be interesting both for long time fans and newbies. It starts off with "The Gallant Crow", a cover of a track by funeral doom legends Skepticism. Now Skepticism is one of those bands that is quite personal to me, and covers of such bands can be a bit tricky. However, this particular one is, in my opinion, quite brilliant. It combines the original heavy mood of the track with the subtle ambient moods so typical of Nest. The track is both faithful to the original, and innovative at the same time. Next up is "Last Vestige of Old Joy" from the split 10" with Agalloch, but without the Agalloch contributions to the track, which makes it a bit less interesting than the original. Then, as an extra, the Fabled Lore demo (1999) and Hidden Stream release are included on the CD. Nice for those who haven't procured a copy or download of those yet, as they show a more primitive but certainly not bad side of Nest's music. To top it off, the limited edition also contains a small glossy booklet with many of A. Tolonen's beautiful drawings, though sadly enough it doesn't include the lyrics booklet.
I haven't even mentioned the thematics, yet, which are as usual placed in the realm of animal tales and mysterious folklore. This review is getting way too long, however, so time to wrap up. This is a great release, that really shouldn't disappoint any serious Nest fan. The album itself would be deserving of an 8, because there is still room for improvement in the songwriting department, even though the sound is breathtaking. Nevertheless, the great extras and artwork push this one just a bit further. Recommended to all lovers of nature-inspired atmospheric music.
O.S.
The main improvement over the previous album is the sound. A.T. has put a lot of work in refining the home-recording situation, and that has paid off. The sound of the Kantele, that typically Finnish string instrument, is richer than before, both when used clean and with effects. The same goes for the Lapland drum, which sounds both deep and clear. The greatest profit was made in the synthesizer department, though. The quality of the synths has improved immensely, and this time around, whether it's waves, flutes or horns, it all sounds marvellous. It is very rewarding to listen to this album with headphones, as only then does the album show its richness of sound, also because of the addition of many subtle effects and nature samples.
Another big difference with the previous album is the songwriting. Unlike earlier work, Trail of the Unwary contains almost only long tracks, and they are quite different in structure. "Moonbow" sets the tone for the album, with a gentle buildup and variation between two musical themes. Instead of condensing this into a four or five minute track, this is stretched out over a longer period. This makes the album more ambient most of the time, and perhaps less accessible and catchy. In any case, it requires a different mode of listening. "Kontio" is most like the older work, and my favourite track, though not because of that. It has a very gripping theme, excellent worked out in synth horn and kantele. The song is crowned by the wordless vocals of John Haughm (Agalloch), who is only one of several guest appearances. "Hunt" is quite an innovative track for Nest, being very long, and composed of calm melodic pieces and heavier outbursts, even including distorted kantele. "Across the Waters" starts with the spoken words of Laurie Ann Haus (Todesbonden), and it turns into a nice finishing track.
The aptly named Other CD contains a lot of extra material, that should be interesting both for long time fans and newbies. It starts off with "The Gallant Crow", a cover of a track by funeral doom legends Skepticism. Now Skepticism is one of those bands that is quite personal to me, and covers of such bands can be a bit tricky. However, this particular one is, in my opinion, quite brilliant. It combines the original heavy mood of the track with the subtle ambient moods so typical of Nest. The track is both faithful to the original, and innovative at the same time. Next up is "Last Vestige of Old Joy" from the split 10" with Agalloch, but without the Agalloch contributions to the track, which makes it a bit less interesting than the original. Then, as an extra, the Fabled Lore demo (1999) and Hidden Stream release are included on the CD. Nice for those who haven't procured a copy or download of those yet, as they show a more primitive but certainly not bad side of Nest's music. To top it off, the limited edition also contains a small glossy booklet with many of A. Tolonen's beautiful drawings, though sadly enough it doesn't include the lyrics booklet.
I haven't even mentioned the thematics, yet, which are as usual placed in the realm of animal tales and mysterious folklore. This review is getting way too long, however, so time to wrap up. This is a great release, that really shouldn't disappoint any serious Nest fan. The album itself would be deserving of an 8, because there is still room for improvement in the songwriting department, even though the sound is breathtaking. Nevertheless, the great extras and artwork push this one just a bit further. Recommended to all lovers of nature-inspired atmospheric music.
O.S.