Band:	Agalloch
Album:	Pale Folklore
Style:	Neofolk, Atmospheric black metal
Release date:	June 1999

01. She Painted Fire Across The Skyline I
02. She Painted Fire Across The Skyline II
03. She Painted Fire Across The Skyline III
04. The Misshapen Steed
05. Hallways Of Enchanted Ebony
06. Dead Winter Days
07. As Embers Dress The Sky
08. The Melancholy Spirit

In recent years, only a handful of bands surprised me as much as Agalloch from Portland, Oregon. With albums such as The Mantle and Ashes Against The Grain, they established themselves as one of the most talented US acts. I suddenly realized that I was missing out on one of their albums, 1999's Pale Folklore.

The first observation is that Agalloch's unique style - an atmospheric blend of folk, doom, death and much more - is already well defined on this album. While the production is understandably of poorer quality compared to their more recent releases, it is clear enough to enjoy the large amount of creativity showcased throughout the tracks.

'She Painted Fire Across The Skyline' is a typical Agalloch creation, divided into three distinct parts, which gives Pale Folklore a great base. Listeners who are already familiar with their discography, will recognize 'The Death Of Man' as the lead build-up of The Mantle album.

Without giving up too much information, 'Hallways OF Enchanted Ebony', 'Dead Winter Days' and especially 'As Embers Dress The Sky' constitute the essential heart of the album while 'The Melancholy Spirit' is a slower-beat outro with a fantastic piano conclusion.

Pale Folklore is an extremely interesting album, played by very convincing musicians and in a unique style that is sure to gather people with different musical background. It may be a notch under their grandiose The Mantle, but it's not far from it.