Sound: Agalloch's first full-length release opens up with an epic three part suite called "She Painted Fire Across The Skyline". And the album keeps on kicking ass from there. The guitarists from Agalloch use lots of both acoustic and electric guitars that create a very atmospheric sound to this great disk. The musical styles employed on this album range from Black Metal to Folk making for a very enjoyable listening expirience. Other instruments such as pianos, flutes, and cellos are used at points throughout the album (particularly on the instrumental track "This Mishappen Steed"). Each song is memorable, which, to me, is very important in an album. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics on this album are great. They are very dark and deal with themes of nature and sadness. Jon Haughm's vocals are very well done in my opinion. His growls, cleans, whispers, and spoken vocals all compliment the music expertly. The sound of the vocals also fits the themes of the lyrics very well. // 10
Impression: This album quickly became one of my favorites when I first got it and while some people say it does not stand up to Agalloch's later works it does in my opinion. My favorite songs on the album are "She Painted Fire Across The Skyline", "Hallways Of Enchanted Ebony", and "The Melancholy Spirit". This album is great however, the production isn't perfect which just adds to the atmosphere for me, but may scare off other potential listeners. Apart from that, what you have here is a great album. // 10
