First launched in 1997, Ex Tenebris started lifestyles as a solo album via White Willow’s guitarist and composer-in-chief Jacob Holm-Lupo. The road-up which made the band’s 1995 debut Ignus Fatuus had already disbanded, however as Ex Tenebris took form Holm-Lupo realised it had sufficient prog pedigree to face as a resurrected White Willow’s 2d album.
Now comes this re-release of a cult favorite. Now not as lushly organized than its predecessor, it was once recorded on a shoestring, and advantages from Holm-Lupo’s new remaster.
Highlights come with A Ordinary Procession – which sounds slightly just like the Mastermind theme track remodeled to soundtrack some unimaginably chilling pagan ceremony – and spacious, contemplative opener Leaving The Space Of Thanatos, all bone-dry guitar arpeggios, Mellotron and woody analogue synth.
There’s a lovely, lonely previous church really feel to Soteriology, too, with singer Sylvia Erichsen’s fantastically enunciated vocals evoking Sally Oldfield’s efficiency on Steve Hackett’s Shadow Of The Hierophant.
Although Ex Tenebris is nowadays billed as White Willow’s “first step in opposition to one thing extra unique than their first album’s retro-styled psych-folk,” one thing of Ignus Fatuus’s sound and temper stays.
However because the bucolic flute on 2d monitor The Guide Of Love underlines, that is very a lot a excellent factor. In other places, Holm-Lupo’s creamy, treble-rolled-off guitar lead on Helen & Simon Magus is unshowy, however efficient.
Ex Tenebris interprets from the Latin as ‘from darkness,’ and there’s no mistaking the darkish Scandinavian power. It’s a moody, mellow, every now and then melancholic file that seems like some roughly salve in opposition to – or in puts, a made of –seasonal affective dysfunction right through the lengthy Norwegian iciness.
Sonically, it’s mild years clear of later works – now not least their not going 2015 quilt of onerous rock icons the Scorpions’ Animal Magnetism – however White Willow’s roots are neatly value exploring.
Ex Tenebris is on sale now in more than one codecs.
