For this second release from the Norwegian band
White Willow
, the original nucleus of
Jacob Holm-Lupo
(guitars, organ) and
Jan Tariq Rahman
(keys, vocals) was augmented by bassist
Frode Lia
, singer
Sylvia Erichsen
, and (surprise!) ex-
Anglagard
drummer
Mattias Olsson
.
Ex Tenebris
is a beautiful and delicate flower.
Progressive
in its framework, this record embraces
gothic
,
folk
, and
classical
music. The best comparison, if one is really necessary, would be with a
progressive
version of
Loreena McKennitt
. Songs are simple (much more than on the band's first CD), catchy, moody, shadowy, calm. An atmospheric late-night record, it is dominated by
Erichsen
's voice (which is more ethereal than
Magdalena Hagberg
from
the Paer Lindh Project
) and stripped-down keyboard lines. Some electric guitar notes occasionally come in to help raise the decibel level and tighten the tension (on
"Helen and Simon Magus"
and
"...A Dance of Shadows"
), with great results. The most surprising part of this album is the production: Engineer
Jo Wang
favored
ambient
acoustics. It is especially disconcerting at first on
"Leaving the House of Thanatos,"
as one gets the impression that the band has been recorded live in the studio with only a couple of overhead microphones (and it might be just that!). But, the fact is that it works perfectly, suiting the simplicity and bareness of the songs and the vibrant sensuality of the execution. In a
prog
world where quality is too often measured through virtuosity alone,
embodies the simple and uncertain beauty of shadows. Not every
fan's cup of tea, but those with an inclination toward
/
medieval
romanticism will fall for this record very quickly. One of the most surprising and fulfilling
albums of 1998, it established
as a serious
act and
as a respected composer, while allowing the band to reach beyond the usual
prog rock
crowd. ~ Francois Couture