Wild Hunt

This is the debut full-length from Wild Hunt, eclectic prog rockers based in Oakland, CA. Their moniker is drawn from a common myth structure found across several European cultures: the "wild hunt" is a vision of a group of hunters, usually mounted and accompanied by weapons and dogs, racing through the sky in pursuit of some never-seen spectral beast. The vision is usually considered a bad omen, foretelling death or catastrophe. Sometimes the hunters are said to be ghosts; other times, fairies and there is always the chance that whoever receives the vision may be caught up in the hunt and carried off. As their namesake suggests, Wild Hunt have created a ghostly, psychedelic debut with Before the Plane of Angles that, for all its ephemeral nature, also has some surprising muscle. The record contains black metal-inspired vocals, doomy riffs and traditional metal drumming that come together to create a roiling, multifaceted musical entity. The songs are long ― two are over 16 minutes ― and tend to shift as they progress, writhing and bucking as they go. While not every shot strikes true, with so much going on and so many weapons sharpened to a point, Wild Hunt hit their fair share of killing blows.