RR15 Falls Of Rauros - The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood Formed in 2005 on the coast of Maine, Falls Of Rauros is a four-piece band from Portland that combines elements of folk and black metal to create an atmosphere that is as beautiful as it is haunting.  From uplifting acoustic passages to incredibly triumphant melodies, the band celebrates nature and the demise of society while orchestrating some of the most genuine and passionate music of its kind. On July 30, 2013, Falls Of Rauros released their masterpiece The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood through Replenish Records.  100% of the proceeds from the digital downloads of the album will be donated to Mayo Street Arts at http://www.mayostreetarts.org in order to help strengthen the neighborhood and community by providing a vibrant, safe, and inspiring center for the arts, and to engage neighborhood youths of diverse cultural communities in quality learning experiences in the visual, performing, and literary arts in Portland, Maine. Pressing Information: Vinyl [ Test | Black | 10 ] [ 1 | Black | 300 ] [ 2 | Transparent Gold | 300 ]
“Maine's Falls of Rauros Appalachian black/folk metal incorporates a quiet starkness into their music that fans of Cascadian black metal, such as Agalloch, can appreciate.  Falls of Rauros has put a pristine folk metal sound into The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood.  It's a slower tempo of black metal that takes its time to convey the hues of nature and paint a picture of the harsh beauty of its surroundings, similar to the style of Winterfylleth.  Nonetheless, "The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood" is a surprisingly nice offering from Falls of Rauros.  It displays a maturity and the finer elements of black pagan metal in a way that conveys despondency with an elegant subtlety.”  Metal Underground "Falls Of Rauros have succeeded where many other bands have failed, bringing a genuine, heartfelt strain of folk into their black metal.  The production on this album is more polished than in the past, but that doesn't leave this album feeling any less organic.  The emotions remain raw and close to the surface; allowing this album to, in many ways, feel like home - to me at least.  This all adds up to what may end up being the best black metal record of the year." Hammer Smashed Sound “Super melodic, folky, woodland black metal of the absolute highest order.  It’s so involved and enveloping, that it almost seems like an out of body experience.  Everything fits together to make a grandiose and truly epic piece of musical art.  This album is so immense and perfect that it literally had me reconsidering my involvement in music altogether.  That almost never happens and when it does, I know that whatever I had just experienced is so profound that it almost becomes a life changing moment.  Dear readers, this may be the best black metal album to come out in many years and is possibly my pick for album of the year.  Absolutely outstanding, perfect, and emotionally jarring.  My mind is officially blown.”  The Inarguable “Maine's Falls of Rauros position themselves firmly in the growing pantheon of american bands trafficking in the kind of misanthropic despair that celebrates forest wandering and the demise of our consumerist society.  Their peers (Velnias, Wolves In The Throne Room, Agalloch) generally hail from woodlands farther west, but Falls hardly lack for inspiration in their northeastern wilderness.  The Light That Dwells sounds amazing.  Agonized elemental screeches cut across the sheets of cloud-bursting chaos cascading off the crashing drums and tireless guitar strumming.  Acoustic moments hum with their own bright intensity and the transitions into aggressive extremity always grow cunningly from those deeper roots.  Six-stringed layers keen over the trail beaten out by the drum kit, which adroitly balances explosion with exploration in accordance with the (extended) song requirements.  The Light That Dwells makes a distinctive mark on the musical landscape.  Even our own world could use more reminders like this that our planet does not passively await our arrogant declarations of pastoral elegance, but, having long endured our transgressions, may well eat us, forget us, and spin again more peacefully into its cyclical eternity.”  Chronicles of Chaos "Acrimonious Vagabond, Abhorrent Wayfarer...these are the names behind the Falls Of Rauros guise, the names that hold the key to a truly jovial existence.  The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood is but a staff that aids its bearer through the darkness, into the light at the end of the tunnel, roaming through lush forests and vast meadows.  Here you will find Pagan mentors - but students of life - coexisting amongst the unblemished land, at one with nature and self.  The bleak and despairing emotions typical of atmospheric black metal are only present if sought, as the general laid-back attitude presented by these Americans should all but quell your deepest anxieties and most defeating self-deprecation.  The raw feeling typical of traditional black metal is still present, yet there is a glow surrounding the songs that is scarce among the rest of the scene.  Yin yang birch roots provide a balanced foundation, moving closer to an equilibrium that Hail Wind And Hewn Oak only narrowly missed, splicing neofolk and black metal without losing sight of one or the other.  Uplifting, epic riffs fill the soul with a warmth comparable to the likes of the mighty sun, not replacing decay but embracing it. Your internal struggles become a matter of ancient history, lost to the tides of time but not forgotten.  Angst, despair, loss, apathy - these are all feelings that will be wrapped in blankets of soothing water, drifting away into streams of acceptance...streams given their own special sense of life with an almost hazy production that generates organic flavor.  The over-the-top dramatics here are but a mere reflection of the comforting atmosphere and lulling song structures.  There is an incredibly well-crafted story of Pagan defiance and environmentalist survival within these songs, an almost archaic telling of black metal's strongest message: independence.  In just 45 minutes, Falls Of Rauros manage to consolidate their ideas and express their true feelings, and not entirely in typical black metal fashion.  The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood is a must for those seeking enlightenment beyond the knowledge of man or the knowledge of nature - but what can be achieved with knowledge of both.  Much like the Great River of Wilderland flows over the Falls of Rauros, so too does the river of love flow over the falls of life."  Metal Storm