Epigone - a less distinguishe... just kidding, not gonna be that cheap with this intro gazes at other reviewers. Instead I'll tell you a wee story. So, Angry Metal Guy. Mentioned them a few times but for those not in the know, they were the main thing that inspired me to create the Gazebo as well as introducing me to lots of bands. But amongst that heap of discoveries and recommendations, one group stands out. Wilderun. I still remember that moment fondly, it was December of 2016 and I just discovered AMG.
As one does, I went through their stuff and absorbed information like a sponge, particularly from those AotY lists. In them Wilderun was mentioned multiple times despite the fact their album was released the year before so that definitely caught my attention. And then it happened, I heard "The Garden Of Fire" for the first time. Being a relatively new Opeth fan I yearned for more Growlpeth so this, along The Reticent's excellent On The Eve Of A Goodbye scratched that itch perfectly. It didn't take me long to notice how the record in question, Sleep At The Edge Of The Earth was far more than a sum of its influences, it was a landmark record not just for me but for the genres it represented. To shorten what's becoming a classically Lovelothian overlong intro, let's just skip more needless exposition (and mountains of praise) so we can talk about the band's fourth effort.
Continuing on their tradition of great and memorable intros, "Exhaler" wastes no time and throws you right in. Breathtakingly gorgeous but that's nothing new for the group. Its acoustic-driven folky tinges seem familiar, thinking "Dust And Crooked Thoughts" but something is different. The timbre. As much as it's warm, there's a shady hue surrounding it. One of pleasant melancholia and its form re-appears in slight deviations throughout the whole record. There's an additional catch though which the following track "Woolgatherer" showcases wonderfully. Simply put, this is Epigone's identity in sonic form. A microcosm if you will and one ripe with a staggering amount of ideas and of varying intensity. Again, nothing new to Wilderun but even by their standards, "Woolgatherer" is diverse, too diverse perhaps. I was afraid they would rely too much on these stark jumps between symphonic grandeur and acoustic woe. Follow-up "Passenger" does the same thing but it's working? Was I adjusting or was "Woolgatherer" a fluke or was it something entirely? As you can see I am referring to this in past tense and of course I would. Writing three masterpieces in a row arrives with a set of increasingly high expectations. Expectations that surely would not be met yet another time? There was no way right?
Wrong you jaded fool, of course there was! OK there actually really wasn't so let's just pretend things like this happen often and act cool... It's really hard because I have the biggest smile now as I listen to "Identifier" which coincidentally marks the moment I realized they've done it yet again. Extremely cool jagged progginess, wonderful female backing vocals and gorgeous acoustics aside, is that... electronic hums I hear in certain sections? Shock and awe. Makes complete sense as they seemingly mastered folk, proggy death and symphonic elements which define their sound but the potential for more is he... six minutes and thirty seven seconds into the track WOAH THERE HI WHAT? Hear that? That's the sound of a band evolving before your very eyes/ears. Like bored smart kids in kindergartens, Wilderun tinker around until a new creation is birthed which they then optimize. A silly metaphor but I like that image in my head so let's go with that! (Babyrun confirmed??)
Living up to its name, "Ambition" continues on with the weird and attempts to prepare us for a behemoth. The "Distraction" tetralogy is anything but that, it's a complete and utter triumph. The ads will be distracting though so do use an AdBlock if you plan on listening through YouTube but you probably know that already. Anyhow, not only does it cover all possible emotions but it does it effortlessly and with so much confidence, skill and passion that you can't help but stop for a bit to gather yourself after it perishes.
So many things could've gone wrong. They could've elongated that gorgeous outro on "Distraction III" or noodle around for too much in "Distraction II" intro or just, you know, written a subpar riff or snuck in some underwhelming lyric. Maybe a clumsy vocal line. Inaudible bass. Random obnoxious saxophone solo. Anything. No? UUU got one! "Distraction Nulla" becomes too much at one point with its noisiness and... damn it, it doesn't because it fits the narrative and mirrors the silence which opens the record.
Is it alarming that I find my lack of jadedness frustrating? Have I gone soft? Judging by the region around my sweatpants that doesn't seem to be the cas...
So the best part of all of this is that I am allergic to 99.69% of symphonic metal bands. Had my phases as a teen but its bombast, reliance on cheaply catchy choruses and just being an insufferable piece of cheesy... wait cheese is perfection so just being insufferable did its damage but as you've guessed it, Wilderun are not just some band, they're something truly special and while I do feel like that toddler I mentioned because of all this poorly organized mass of praise, I like that feeling. That sense of awe, childlike curiosity and invincibility is something only these four are able to awaken inside of me. So yes, you could say listening to Wilderun is a deeply sexual experience but I personally just eject myself from my being by accident a few times whilst experiencing strong emotions that are often times accompanied with a lot of "OOF's", a few "bruh's" and a handful of extremely manly squeaks.
Considering I did a very poor job of actually describing how they sound, I could... nah, I honestly wished to avoid that because of all the comparisons to "that band which no longer sounds like that band sounded when it was at its peak" and a few other similarities with "that eyeglasses-wearing guy who helped said band with one of their acclaimed records". That way I could've written a more coherent and standard piece sure but where is the fun in that? Especially when I have the power to randomly share a playthrough of one of their first hood classics.
Now, regardless if you're a fan or not, "Suncatcher" may come as a surprise to you. Firstly, if this is your first experience with them and you just heard "Identifier" or "Passenger" before this, you could take a moment to adjust. Wouldn't blame you because this is a much more upbeat and playful affair than anything of Epigone and Veil Of Imagination for that matter. Yet that's undeniably them playing here and firing on all cylinders, it's just a lot more power-y and folk-y. If you're a fan or knew of "Suncatcher" beforehand, you won't be hard pressed to notice how better this version sounds. And it's important to note that they definitely don't play in this style anymore. They simply upgraded and this is a trend Epigone reinforces. As well as Evan Berry remaining one of Earth's greatest vocalists who just keeps on improving alongside Jonathan Teachy being an absolute beast behind the kit and Wayne Ingram churning out sick riffs alongside his classical-level of understanding compositions and Daniel Müller consistently providing stellar bass lines and backing vocals.
Unfortunately, until last summer we also had Joe Gettler on guitar duties but he since left the band. Luckily the separation was amicable.
His final contributions to the band were significant however as they contain most of Epi(c)gone's guitar parts so one has to wonder... how will his absence effect the eventual follow up?
Judging by this and new "The Garden Of Fire" performance, I feel there won't be a significant dip in quality which brings us back to the whole "whole band good" argument which should be more than clear by now.
Even clearer should be the legacy of the band behind it all. To spell it out for you, Wilderun have been operating on another level for ten years now and they once again managed to match all those lofty expectations they themselves set and successfully expand their sound palette. Epigone is not as grandiose and symphonic as Veil Of Imagination nor is it folky and magical as Sleep At The Edge Of The Earth or mischievous and jaunty as Olden Tales & Deathly Trails, it's ALL of it and a tiny bit of... more! You know, more more but most notably the addition of electronics which they showcase further with "Exhaler's" synthwave remix. Interestingly, their rendition of Radiohead's "Everything In It Right Place" does not share the same mentality, instead it's their take so try and picture how that sounds because I don't want to spoil it for you.
So in conclusion, Epicgone is, like each of their release, not something you can casually jump in and out of. It's a complete piece best suited for single ingestions. And preferably repeating this motion as days, weeks, months and years storm along. I know I will and you know you should too.
Epicgone was released through Century Media Records on January 7th of 2022.
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