Wodensthrone definitely embodied the “burn out, not fade away” ethos of some black metal bands, but while their star did not burn for a long time, they quickly became an indelible mark on the English black metal scene. And then, after two albums and “only” eleven years active, they quietly disbanded following the departure of founding member Richard “Wildeþrýð” Brass. Or, rather, the rest of Wodensthrone decided to continue on without him in the form of Nemorous, who finally get to unleash their proper full-length debut to the world with What Remains When Hope Has Failed.
Wodensthrone sprang up as pioneers of a very English style of atmospheric black metal, and while Nemorous obviously share that part of their DNA with their progenitor, the band seeks to expand on that sound and build an identity for themselves beyond Wodensthrone 2: Electric Boogaloo. Leaning heavily on a larger amount of dynamics and melody, Nemorous took their time writing and recording What Remains. Four years have gone by since their first self-titled EP, and part of the reason for the delay, and also the recommitment and reinvigoration of the band, is the loss of original singer/guitarist Chris Walsh and his replacement by vocalist Nick Craggs and guitarist Rob Hindmarsh, turning Nemorous into a sextet that features Wodensthrone alums Ian Finley on drums, Phil Heckles on bass, and Michael Blenkarn on guitar and Alexandra Durning on keys (who both are additionally members of Ahamkara with Austin Lunn: here’s a shameless plug for my review of their grand return if you didn’t read it before).
What Remains When Hope Has Failed is one of those special metal albums that absolutely takes you on a journey from start to finish, and while Nemorous definitely tap in to that decidedly English creative vein that fueled Wodensthrone at its earliest, they retain an identity all their own, especially owing to the performance of Craggs. The guy kinda has to come out swinging to make his mark on the project, and boy does he ever. His raspy shriek is a perfect foil to the plaintive, highly melodic guitar parts it sits over, but he shows his full range all over What Remains in a way that makes his inclusion in the band a no-brainer. Similarly, the guitar interplay between newcomer Hindmarsh and veteran Blenkarn is a standout feature of this album, absolutely when the tremolo riffs hit but especially in the clean sections that give this album so much space and depth. The songwriting here is brilliantly effective, with each song being given time and room to develop and evolve, anchored by the musicality of each instrument interweaving with the others. “This Rotten Bough,” for example, exemplifies Nemorous’ trope of clean guitar passages slowly blossoming into raucous aggression but never losing that sense of mystical, pagan wonder. “Evocative” is a word I probably throw around too much, but I can’t think of a better way to describe the way that What Remains stirs my soul and moves me. Best of all, the synths are super prominent here, in exactly the way I wished they were on The Harrow of the Lost. Durning has a way with space and atmosphere that makes What Remains absolutely drip with vibes, and I find myself continually getting lost in this album in the best way possible.
It may have been a long, hard road to get here, but What Remains When Hope Has Failed is a testament to the calibre of musician and musicianship on display in this group. Here’s hoping this lineup sticks together and keeps going, because they really do have the potential to use their past success to catapult them into a bright future. Lucky you, you get a double dose of awesome Bindrune albums today. Go listen to both of them.
—– Ian
What Remains When Hope Has Failed is available now on Bindrune Recordings. For more information on Nemorous, visit their Facebook page.