We are the past, the eighth full length from Fantasy / Dungeon Synth artist Erang, an album title that boldly marks the intent and direction of this album, of which this became vividly apparent as the themes and melodies of this record unraveled themselves in captivating glory. Erang's inspiration shines bright as ever. Spiritual, cultured folk tales sing their songs, capturing the essences of our heritage in a lush and immersible record.
The album starts of with "Im Ajinar Nost Alije", a tribal drum pounds, ghoulish chants and lightning strikes guide us through the mist as our journey begins. Accompanying, possibly oriental?, instruments lay down the folk foundations for this record that take on many forms as the album progresses through varied instrumentation and aesthetics. From here the record develops through some beautiful and stunning moments where harmonious melodies weep over gentle, atmospheric backings that tell the tale of cultures lost by time and dust. The mood is varied, with some lifting songs come some moodier, darker vibes as Erang explores both the bright and darker sides of the ancient world.
The production of this record feels almost flawless with no noticeable technical discrepancies. The instruments and sounds on display are lush, crisp and enigmatic. The mix is spacious and roomy which the instruments fill with their eloquent color. My only disappointment with this album was the track "Wine And Beer" which felt very out of place, obviously its a folkish pub song, but it heavily contrasted and broke up the mood of this listen which has been stunning and immersible, Erang's best work to date.
Favorite Songs: I Dreamt Of An Emerald Forest, The Loneliest Fighter, The First Snow, Lament For My Horse, Forever Gone But Never Lost
Rating: 8/10