Agalloch's 1997 demo From Which of This Oak was limited to 200 cassette tapes and is a fascinating listen. It hints at what would ultimately (at least for the time being...) become Agalloch's easily recognizable sound. The neo-folk, the black metal, the progressive yet inspiring song structures, and of course the ever present sense of defiant melancholy. Agalloch are a vital and creative force within music. This demo documents their beginnings. It is distantly familiar when compared with their more recent work. Yet, it's still miles ahead of most other musicians. One thing present here, that didn't follow the band onto their formal releases, is a surprising NWOBHM influence on the opening track, "The Wilderness." It's high energy guitar attack is pretty awesome and pretty surprising. Still, I'm glad they left this influence behind. I would rather enjoy it as part of their youthful past, while rightfully appreciating their current more mature sound which they have truly made their own. Enough knit-picking ... demo or not, these 4 tracks are impressive. From this small seed has grown a band whose roots are as vast and run as deep as the considerable influence they impart on the world of music around them.
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