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For Snow Covered the Northland (1996)
Ancient Wisdom’s debut album, For Snow Covered the Northland, spans nearly 60 minutes of atmospheric black metal and doom. Formed in 1992 by Marcus Norman, with Fredrik Jakobsson of Throne of Ahaz on board, the band recorded this debut in 1994, releasing it in 1996. What you get here is a mix of cold, melancholic black metal and doom, though it’s not without its flaws.
The album opens with “A Hymn to the Northern Empire,” an eerie intro with wolves howling, a somber piano, and tortured vocals, setting the tone for what’s to come. “In the Land of the Crimson Moon” follows, offering slow, doom-infused black metal with anguished screams and some well-fitting keyboards. While not groundbreaking, this track captures the melancholic vibe well and serves as a good introduction to the album’s overall atmosphere.
"They Gather Where Snow Falls Forever" brings a sorrowful lead solo, followed by a classical guitar section, blending the band’s doom influences with their black metal roots. The track feels like a cross between Throne of Ahaz and early Bethlehem, with a cold, dismal feeling throughout. “Through Rivers of the Eternal Blackness” picks up the pace with tremolo riffs and introspective solos, though it suffers from one major flaw: a riff lifted directly from Metallica’s “Fade to Black,” which feels like a lazy misstep in an otherwise solid track.
The album’s pace shifts again with “The Journey of the Ancients,” which carries over the same desolate atmosphere, moving slowly but effectively with minimalist riffing and haunting solos. “As Snow Covers the Northland,” an instrumental piece, adds to the bleak mood with clean guitars, creating a brief, eerie interlude before diving back into misery with “No Tears At His Funeral.”
By the time “Forest of Summoned Spirits” rolls around, the album has established its melancholic formula—mid-paced riffs, anguished vocals, and atmospheric solos. The song works well enough, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “A Raven’s Reflection of the Ancient Northland,” the longest track on the album, is a slow, crushing piece that drags on a little too long, but it does succeed in conveying an overwhelming sense of despair.
The last instrumental, “The Serpent's Sleep Is Not Eternal,” offers a peaceful, final breath before the album’s closing track, “At the Other Side,” shifts gears slightly with a faster pace and some death metal undertones. It’s an odd ending for an album that had maintained such a steady, mournful atmosphere, and the track doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the material. The album closes with “The Sleep Within,” a final, doom-heavy track that seems to wander off into a bit of a death metal vibe, which feels like an odd detour after everything else.
For Snow Covered the Northland is an ambitious and occasionally brilliant work, but it’s also uneven. It blends atmospheric black metal and doom that, at its best, is haunting and beautiful in its desolation. However, the album stumbles with some filler and a lack of focus at times. If you’re into melancholy, slow-paced black metal with a doom twist, it’s worth checking out, but it's not perfect.
The album opens with “A Hymn to the Northern Empire,” an eerie intro with wolves howling, a somber piano, and tortured vocals, setting the tone for what’s to come. “In the Land of the Crimson Moon” follows, offering slow, doom-infused black metal with anguished screams and some well-fitting keyboards. While not groundbreaking, this track captures the melancholic vibe well and serves as a good introduction to the album’s overall atmosphere.
"They Gather Where Snow Falls Forever" brings a sorrowful lead solo, followed by a classical guitar section, blending the band’s doom influences with their black metal roots. The track feels like a cross between Throne of Ahaz and early Bethlehem, with a cold, dismal feeling throughout. “Through Rivers of the Eternal Blackness” picks up the pace with tremolo riffs and introspective solos, though it suffers from one major flaw: a riff lifted directly from Metallica’s “Fade to Black,” which feels like a lazy misstep in an otherwise solid track.
The album’s pace shifts again with “The Journey of the Ancients,” which carries over the same desolate atmosphere, moving slowly but effectively with minimalist riffing and haunting solos. “As Snow Covers the Northland,” an instrumental piece, adds to the bleak mood with clean guitars, creating a brief, eerie interlude before diving back into misery with “No Tears At His Funeral.”
By the time “Forest of Summoned Spirits” rolls around, the album has established its melancholic formula—mid-paced riffs, anguished vocals, and atmospheric solos. The song works well enough, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “A Raven’s Reflection of the Ancient Northland,” the longest track on the album, is a slow, crushing piece that drags on a little too long, but it does succeed in conveying an overwhelming sense of despair.
The last instrumental, “The Serpent's Sleep Is Not Eternal,” offers a peaceful, final breath before the album’s closing track, “At the Other Side,” shifts gears slightly with a faster pace and some death metal undertones. It’s an odd ending for an album that had maintained such a steady, mournful atmosphere, and the track doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the material. The album closes with “The Sleep Within,” a final, doom-heavy track that seems to wander off into a bit of a death metal vibe, which feels like an odd detour after everything else.
For Snow Covered the Northland is an ambitious and occasionally brilliant work, but it’s also uneven. It blends atmospheric black metal and doom that, at its best, is haunting and beautiful in its desolation. However, the album stumbles with some filler and a lack of focus at times. If you’re into melancholy, slow-paced black metal with a doom twist, it’s worth checking out, but it's not perfect.
(2 Feb. 2010)
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