My review of the new Agalloch album Ashes Against the Grain
Agalloch has been tagged “gray metal” or “post-black metal,” awkward terms that connote black metal as a point of departure. While its riffs are muscular, with vocals occasionally dropping into a black metal rasp, most of this album is smooth, melodic, and, above all, cold. Playlists that include not only Katatonia but also Cocteau Twins and early Cure should add Agalloch to the rotation.
