Finland is a special country when it comes to music no matter the music genre you choose to listen from there and new releases are usually pleasant surprises with new bands sound like they had drunk the magic broth of inspiration.
Dust Mountain is a new band but carries a good amount of experience as the band’s members are already active in metal bands like Oranssi Pazuzu, Hexvessel, Death Hawks, Cats of Transistria, Vuono etc
But don’t let me be misunderstood, “Hymns For Wilderness” has nothing to do with the extreme music. It’s more a dark folk journey through some psychedelic paths and some doom rock corners, a nice blend that manages to coordinate our inner balance with nature. And I guess the landscape of the north makes it easier to enjoy this kind of music the recent snowfall in Greece made listening of this album even more enjoyable for me.
“Hymns For Wilderness” seems like an album that popped out of the flower power era (at least that is where it has its base) but it doesn’t hesitate to include in a smooth way some modern elements. That’s why sometimes it made me recall of Coven while other times brings Grails back to life (I love them both!).
The rhythm section follows some lazy mood (with almost hypnotic repetitions) except some –almost Dionysian- outbursts (eg. check the mellotron at “Margaret”) that give the necessary push to the final result and managing to break the blurred and dark base of some compositions.
The debut album by Dust Mountain puts the spotlight on romanticism that many decades ago we enjoyed from hippie folk, but the band transmits the magic of analog/organic music to modern era…
