Composer/Musician Reacts to Agalloch - In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion (REACTION!!!) 

This album is great, but damn if it doesn’t hit some deep, relatable depressive spot. It personally provokes a more realistic melancholy than black metal or doom metal. It is sit in the snow and cry because a family member died metal.

Dude Agalloch is probably my most played band. Unbelievably talented. This album is so beautiful. I can't believe this is what you chose I'm so happy lol

Agalloch is an experience, everything they did was masterful. It's a shame the band separated.

7:08 The right reaction to this song

I've heard Agalloch be called "Grey" metal before which I think kind of fits. They share a lot with atmospheric black metal while only very occasionally venturing into the sound. But they don't fit nicely into any genre. For me they are one of those bands that I'm rarely in the mood for but when I am the music hits in ways most music doesn't.

Yessss. Also check out Alcest. KODAMA is the shiz.

Not a kill switch, it's a heavy hard stereo pan. One of the things Agalloch does great is put the experience of being in nature into music. A lot will come off as slightly repetitive, but just as walking through the woods something beautiful will come from it.

Agalloch is all about the oak atmosphere, you just imagine a dark forest with lots of wood, mist, deers and all that. I wonder what Ensiferum song could be perfect for this week, i'd say One More Magic Potion or Iron. OH, AND MOONSORROW! They have so many great folk metal songs: Raunioilla or Jumalten Aika just to name a few

What a great band. You should react to Falling Snow by them one day if you want :) A term used to categorize them sometime is «Post-metal» with prog, folk and black metal elements. You could check out ISIS or Cult Of Luna for some awesome Post-Metal too :).

I see we have a new Agalloch fangirl! 😍 Absolutly okay, haha.

I wanna also say Agalloch is unique in the time they were producing the most finessed black/folk metal. They were the first to really successfully incorporate post rock, shoegaze, Doom, folk, black metal and electronic/atmospheric elements so tastefully. Their guitarist is a professor in Oregon and has an academic talk about progressive metal and their place in it which is very cool as well

Your girl is right there is ALOT of violin in folk metal

Hell yeah!! Finally reacted to Agalloch. One of my fav bands of all time, The Mantle is just a masterpiece!!

It's so nice to be able to listen to my favorite songs again "for the first time" vicariously through others. This is the perfect first Agalloch song to hear if you have the patience for it.

When I was first getting into metal, Agalloch was a big influence into realizing how diverse metal could be. I always get excited when I see someone listen to them for the first time. Even if it's not what they're into, they generally leave with a good impression. Another great song from them is Not Unlike the Waves. A band you should check out is Isis. They are one of the fathers of Post-Metal. I really can't think of a bad song or album from them. As far as songs go Dulcinea is probably the best intro song to them. My favorite song from them is Garden of Light.

A little history might help here: folk metal was arguably pioneered by the band Skyclad in the early 90s. In the mid 90s, Ulver's Bergtatt was arguably the album that popularized having folk elements (acoustic guitars, flutes, clean singing) with atmospheric black metal, though there they alternated more than mixed. The two albums they released after were pure folk (Kveldssanger) and pure black metal (Nattens madrigal) respectively. The really cool innovation of Agalloch was to more fully mix/integrate both elements, along with more progressive and post-rock tendencies. Nobody really sounded like them in the early 00s, but since then a ton of bands have tried something similar, but I don't think any band has gotten that mix right as well as Agalloch did. I'd also say they're more of an album band than a song band. It requires some time to get lost in the atmosphere they create. On a completely different note, your daughter is adorable! :)

This band is from my hometown, Portland, Oregon!

Agalloch is pure magic.

Hi! I know that you have already covered Ne-Obliviscaris before, but I would love to see your reaction to either Devour me Colossus or Eyrie. I consider them to be prog masterpieces, and they showcase two different flavors of the band.

Your reaction to that sweep or whatever it was with the guitar after that big long buildup was exactly what my reaction was the first time I heard it

That guitar technique @ around 14:00 is called "sweeping", it originally comes from the violin (afaik)

I really love agalloch. They created some really great music pieces and I just enjoy the vibe of them. Since it's about folk this week. Maybe Windir would be a cool band to check out. Windir was pretty much the band who took me into the metal journey. I listened especially to the song "arntor, ein windir" and i didn't even liked the vocals but I enjoyed this song so much I replayed it over and over again and started to grow on the vocals just as a part of the song like any other instrument. Ever since then vocals are more like an instrument to me and the soundmix is more important than anything else to me. Btw. Windir are (or were) a norwegian Black/Folk metal band.

This was my favorite band for the longest time, took me through my late teens and early 20's :P Really nostalgic listening to it again, thanks again for doing these reacts that nobody else does! The mantle and ashes against the grain are legendary albums to me heh I know the screams were probably your least favorite part of their music, but the song "our fortress is burning II bloodbirds" finishes with some of the most epic screams in any song!

I will add to the recommendations of Alcest - Kodama. Absolutely gorgeous song and I think you might enjoy it. It's a unique mix of black metal and shoegaze.

Agalloch are genuinely a band that I cannot stop going back to. This is one of my favourite songs of all time. However, "The Melancholy Spirit" has one of my favourite song intros I've ever heard. They've made some absolute masterpieces in their career.

great song i put this on and lay in the dark and vibe pretty often

you have to react to the entire painters of the tempest trilogy

Elderwind and Lustre are great names in this type of music. O would recommend The Approach Of Spring and Lunar Light, from the bands respectively. Great content, keep doing it!

When I first heard that guitar sweep years ago, I too was blown away. I read some of the interviews with the guitarist and he was apparently a huge shred guitar fan in his early teens and Yngwie Malmsteen was his idol.

Loved hearing your perspective on music that I've enjoyed for over a decade, really helps bring a fresh experience back to my favorites

It's considered Atmospheric Doom Metal, so it's proggy, but keeps a constant feel and it's melodic throughout. One of my fav metal bands since the first listen.

7:08 Actual footage of me listening to that part

you should do a post-rock week sometime edit: your kid is hilarious x3 can't imagine how you held it together that whole time, what a handful

The whole album is a masterpiece. One of my favourites albums ever.

Love this album

Thanks for this genuine and honest reaction. I discovered Agalloch few years ago and they are already among my favourite bands. Their albums are great and I would highly recommend "Not unlike the waves", which is one their greatest songs and one of my all time favourites. Such a shame they disbanded.

I love your reactions and enjoyed your guest host! LOVE this song so much too.

If you enjoyed this, I recommend you check out Hel - Wo Die Tannen Thronen or Von Reiter Und Flutross, Negura Bunget - Nametenie (or anything else by that band), you might also like Sólstafir - Fjara, Dordeduh - Dojana or you check out Pillorian, which was the band founded by John Haughm after Agalloch had split up

Nehuen by Arraigo (an Argentinian Folk Metal band!!) with Argentinian folk mix :) Your little girl is adorable

"Deer + Music. Put it together, you get deer music!" Your daughter is years ahead of her time and full of profound wisdom 🙏

Thanks for the reaction and shoutout, man!

Agalloch is considered somewhat folk because of the acoustic guitar and upright bass. Compositionnally it's closer to prog/post/black. The other 'folk metal' bans such as Eluveitie are a totally different kind of music. They do use a lot of folk instruments too, but compositionnaly they are a mix of gothenburg metal with traditionnal folk tunes, without the spirit of it. You could also find folk bands merging different kinds of metal with different kinds of folk. Someone said Orphaned Land in the comments, which Israeli music with prog death metal. But of course there's a lot of possibilies.

You should definitely peep more Agalloch

Great co-star joining the show 15minutes in.

This is a perfect song.

Not Unlike the Waves is a great song by them, my favorite

Do Orphaned Land!

14:00 that's called sweep picking, you basically use the down- and upstroke momentum to produce a clean and fast arpeggio. And yes, already suggested: Check out Alcest - Kodama or anything tbh

I can't listen to this songs. Everytime I do, I cry

Damn i forgot this band existed, but i remember discovering this song/band like, 10 years ago from some random free online game forum with a music discussion lol

My tiny ones always want to hear leprous, and I think they would also live to be in a video. If thinking of folk,I always think about Ayreon Arjen Lucassen is a sound and composing genius. I recommend you listen to voices.

10:10 It feels like the sound is travelling left to right in the headphones and with the tremolo of the pitch, i would say this is a "rotary"

daughter was right. one of those sounds was actually a deer skull :P Agalloch likes to be weird like that

Please do more Agalloch songs!!

Some damn fine music!

You should check out Novembre. Aquamarine, Nostalgiaplatz or Swim Seagull In The Sky perhaps? :) Alcest is also a good band to check out.

Requesting Astronoid - Up & Atom. Something a bit different than you're used to.

Please check Dordeduh or Negura Bunget.

Hey mate great reaction! I would love to see you react to the song malediction by shadow of intent. It’s a musical masterpiece with imo no flaws and is my favorite song of 2019. I would love to see ur thoughts on that.

Not sure they'd fit with Folk Week, but you should absolutely check out Primordial. They're Irish black/doom-ish metal. "To Hell or the Hangman" is god-tier. They're extremely atmospheric and of a similar style as Agalloch.

Loved your reaction! Plz react to Trees of Eternity - Hour of the Nightingale.

I suggest giving the song "Kivenkantaja" by Moonsorrow a try for a bit more tightly packed proggy folk metal. Its a very well executed song in that style at least in my opinion. Only few lines of clean vocals though.

i love agalloch.

If folk week comes around again you should listen to Cellar Darling, former members of Eluveitie, but typically a slower folk sound with some doom and progressive elements.

Great band. Check out the Faustian Echoes video with the Faust movie.

I feel like Agalloch kinda carved out the path that Alcest and co. would later go down, It's not exactly blackgaze of course but it has that laidback slightly darker feeling that some stuff like Alcest has

A really great Folk Metal band is Tyr. They are a Faroese metal band who sing about Norse mythology, which I assume is what Folk metal is, just metal where lyrically its a bunch of folk tales or the music or rythms are just metal versions of old folk tales or folk music. Regardless its one of my favorite bands and couple of good recommendations, not all in english, are: -Brennivin -Lokka Tattur -The Lay of Thrym(This one is in English)

Orphaned land - the cave I think it’s likely the best folk metal outside of this track Middle eastern folk mixed with metal

Interesting, I dunno if I'd really consider Agalloch to be Folk Metal. More like Atmospheric/Progressive Black Metal. Some good folk bands are Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, Skálmöld, Finntroll, Tyr, Månegarm and Turisas (kinda). I know you probably have the bands ready planned out for the week, but I hope you at least have Korpiklaani lol. They're like the folkiest of all the folk metal bands, imo.

Once folk week is complete, you should find time to check out, “The Subtle Change Including the Forest of Transition and Dissatisfaction Dance” by “Rivers of Nihil.”

Even though i can listen to most things to go to sleep, i generally sway towards DSBM or Atmospheric BM like these guys or WITTR

I found Agalloch through Loudwire about 3 years ago (can you imagine?): loudwire.com/important-metal-bands-21st-century/ So yea I like them especially on some cold Winter days it's a great jam! Anyway nice to meet your daughter isn't she a little sunshine? can't wait till my daughter are about that age and I can play some boardgame with them :) Anyway hope you check out some more Agalloch in your freetime when the right mood strikes and I'm looking forward to the QnA!

Prog met folk 40 years ago. Hello, Jethro Tull

If you want full on Folk Metal: Korpiklaani - Mettänpeiton Valitaalle / Beer / Man with a Plan Eluveitie - Druid (2012 Re-Record) / Your Gaulish War / Neverland / Bloodstained Ground / Carry the Torch Skyclad - Penny Dreadful (From 1996, the new version is great as well, but I personally just prefere Martins vocals over Kevins) / Still Spinning Shrapnel / On with their Heads! / Eirenarch / Helium Finsterforst - Schatten der Nacht / Das Dunkle aller Welten / Traumwald / Von glorreichem Schmerz Storm Seeker - Destined Course / Row Row Row / The Longing Finntroll - Trollhammaren / Skogsdotter / Madon Laulu Radogost - Klnijmy Się Na Słońce / Sława i cześć

You should check out equilibrium's "mana" for folk music, a masterpiece

Thanks for doing this :)

Agalloch is in the line between prog & and folk & black metal

I call Agalloch "Blackgaze", but theirs was a far more expansive definition than the basic combination of "Black Metal + Shoegaze", as they wrote Black Metal riddled with observations/gazings into other genres and I just like the neutrality of the word.

Watch blue devils 2014, insane trumpet stuff

Can I understand, for metal heads, what drives you into this bands music? Seems like it has a lot of acoustic passages, it is really ballad like slow and fairly linear. Is not bad by any stretch, but I don’t understand the appeal it would have for Heavy Metal fans

Very different kind of prog, but you should check out Moon Safari - A Kid Called Panic

Yes! I love that band. Vektor-accelerating universe or recharging the void. super nice band

Am I the only one who heard Spiderman at 4:28?

That "OHHH!" picking moment I always call the orgasm; the rhythm really builds up to it, then the climax and then the relaxation.

Please do Mouth of the Architect "No One Wished to Settle Here"

I would love to see your reaction of Cult of Luna.

Not folk metal but still very folk, you should check out Eivør Trodlabunden or Falling Free

I would say Agalloch are very much a progressive band just with black and folk metal elements.

Please cover Caligula's Horse Marigold

It's more like atmospheric black / post rock / folk lol. It's much better enjoyed listening to alone on a rainy day.

*Hears massive tonal shift for the second time* *Channels Adam Neely* "Repetition legitimizes"

Soy un nuevo suscriptor, muchas gracias por tus video y si pudieras hacer un video reaction de MAUDLIN OF THE WELL - PART THE SECOND seria genial.

Never thought someone would call Agalloch prog. But maybe there is something to it. I’m a big fan of them if it was not clear from my userpic. Too bad there is Agalloch no more. Pillorian (new project of one of Agalloch band member) is not half bad though.

awesome video!

Can you react to Santa Clara vanguard 2018 please?!

Cool video! You should react to the dark inside by Akercocke

She makes a good point... Why DOESN'T it sound like a deer?!?!?!

Did your little girl listen to this album? She should.

Glass Beach- bedroom community

Famous Last Words - The Show Must Go On