White Willow: Storm Season (Review)

[BarryL]

I've been spinning this disk for two days now, and I'm greatly disappointed.

White Willow is a Scandanavian gothic/metal/progressive band. This is their fourth album. Their albums have always been very inconsistent IMO, so I guess I was expecting something that held together better on this outing. Unfortunately, this isn't it.

It is a very uneven and very unsatisfying album. The biggest problem are the very grating vocals of singer Finn Coren. I don't know if she is on their previous albums, but I don't recall the vocalist being so out of tune and out of sync with the melody line on previous albums. Now, that may be because the earlier albums were more folky than this one, which is heavier in tone with much less string orchestration.

Overall, this is a clunker, and it is best avoided, even if you are a fan of their previous outings.

Someone else posted a review on this about a week ago, and they also thought it was a big disappointment.

[Troy]

Wow, I'll have to rush right out and buy it.

Oh, not to get off topic or anything, seen The Incredibles yet?

How much DO you drink, anyway?

[BarryL]

Oh, not to get off topic or anything, seen The Incredibles yet?

How much DO you drink, anyway?

Its only off-topic posts about movies. If it's about drinking or Google Easter Eggs or CD burner problems, that's okay. Terrance must like movies more than he does music.

I bet you Terrance is a part-time teacher when he's not moving threads around.

I guess you can make it a music thread by inserting something like this as the opening or closing line:

"Someone should write a song about this/that. What's your favorite beer? Lsat night I bought a six pack and got blitzed, and almost got fired at work this morning when someone noticed that I wasn't wearing socks, but was wearing my wife's nylons instead."

or

"I just was listening to an Elton John song with fantastic lyrics, and it reminded me of that movie, The Incredibles. The soundtrack made it really exciting..."

Oooh. Living dangerously like this gives me a vicarious thrill. And as Long John Baldry said, "A thrills a thrill...even in paradise."

[DarrenH]

Storm Season was my first experience with White Willow and I was not impressed. I gave a very short schpeil about this several weeks ago expounding my dislike for this recording. Anyway, I totally agree with you Barry and it's not likely that I'm going to delve any further into their catalog.

At the risk of being off topic, anyone looking forward to seeing National Treasure? I'm going this Sunday. Looks very interesting to me and is right up my alley. I love sh!t like this.

Darren

[DPM]

Overall, this is a clunker, and it is best avoided, even if you are a fan of their previous outings.

Someone else posted a review on this about a week ago, and they also thought it was a big disappointment.

Gee, I like Storm Season, and I like the heavier direction White Willow has taken. Still, their last release, Sacrement, is my favorite. The singer, Sylvia Erichson, has left the band to do other things. Her voice sounds best with lighter tunes. When she tries to add power her voice does become a bit grating/piercing.

Dave M

[Dusty Chalk]

I disagree entirely. This is my favourite release by them.

I'll have to listen to it again, just to see if maybe I can hear of what you speak.

NP: Pain of Salvation, Be

[progfan]

I find White Willow pretty hit or miss too. When they're good, they're spot on, but when they're bad...I recall on one of their CDs, and on the first song (Sacrament?) Sylvia tries to scream out a line that is so embarrassingly out of tune, I can't believe that they released it.

I haven't heard their latest so I don't have an opinion.

[ForeverAutumn]

Storm Season was my first experience with White Willow and I was not impressed. I gave a very short schpeil about this several weeks ago expounding my dislike for this recording. Anyway, I totally agree with you Barry and it's not likely that I'm going to delve any further into their catalog.

At the risk of being off topic, anyone looking forward to seeing National Treasure? I'm going this Sunday. Looks very interesting to me and is right up my alley. I love sh!t like this.

Darren

To keep this post music related....I haven't heard this band, but thanks for the review Barry.

Now, what I really want to say...Hey Darren, let me know what you think of National Treasure. I'm a huge Nicholas Cage fan, but he has done some clunkers so, while I used to see everything he did, now I'm a little more selective. Make sure that you post your review on the Favourite Films Forum. But please stop by here and let us know when you do.

[BarryL]

I've been spinning this disk for two days now, and I'm greatly disappointed.

Well, I haven't given up on this album, and I'm beginning to like it more than I did originally. The vocals still suck, and are grating. But underneath them, there is some pretty interesting gothic metal trying to happen. So, listened to selectively, I can appreciate parts of this CD, but I'm not sure the effort is worth it. It's a lot more keyboard prog oriented than their earlier, softer efforts.

This would have worked better as an instrumental album. I bet they are a lot better live, where it's easier to dismiss the off-kilter vocal performance. The vocal style has destroyed, IMO, what is otherwise a strong metal prog outing.

[Dave_G]

Well I don't have any White Willow and for the most part I don't like bands with female singers but I do like the Ines stuff but anyway who cares?

What is wrong with wearing nylons? I have 5 pair on right now!

Dave

[BarryL]

What is wrong with wearing nylons? I have 5 pair on right now!

Dave

...but you're supposed to wear them on your LEGS.

[Dusty Chalk]

Well, I haven't given up on this album, and I'm beginning to like it more than I did originally. The vocals still suck, and are grating. But underneath them, there is some pretty interesting gothic metal trying to happen. So, listened to selectively, I can appreciate parts of this CD, but I'm not sure the effort is worth it. It's a lot more keyboard prog oriented than their earlier, softer efforts.

This would have worked better as an instrumental album. I bet they are a lot better live, where it's easier to dismiss the off-kilter vocal performance. The vocal style has destroyed, IMO, what is otherwise a strong metal prog outing.

I actually really like her vocals. They (the group, not just her) are reminding me of someone, but I can't put my finger on it. I want to say Renaissance, but I could be confused, because she doesn't really sound like Annie Haslam, and the group, as a whole, rock harder. Lizard-era King Crimson? I don't know...

Hey, if you don't like her voice, that's fine, but I think it's you, not her.

[BarryL]

I actually really like her vocals. They (the group, not just her) are reminding me of someone, but I can't put my finger on it. I want to say Renaissance, but I could be confused, because she doesn't really sound like Annie Haslam.

Hey, if you don't like her voice, that's fine, but I think it's you, not her.

That's a refernce to chalk boards and finger nails, not White Willow.

Believe it or not, if I had to choose between Storm Season and Smile, I'd take Storm Season. I like her voice too, except when she tries to sing "heavy." In the quieter or "normal" singing passages, she's quite competent. Yeah, it's me. I find it screechy at times. The more I listen, the more I get used to the whole thing. I have no problem with the music and the playing, I just have at thing with the singing.

Hey, I love Haslam's singing with Renaissance. But I have a friend who thinks she sings flat, and doesn't like her singing at all. Go figure.

[Dusty Chalk]

Hey, I love Haslam's singing with Renaissance. But I have a friend who thinks she sings flat, and doesn't like her singing at all. Go figure.

Yeah, I distinctly remember the first time someone played Renaissance for me. They were quite hesitant to do so, even though they themselves really enjoyed them. The reason, they gave me, was that it (her voice) was "an acquired taste". So, I listened, all duly forewarned, and loved it from the get go. I still don't know what anyone else is talking about.

But then again, I'm one of those people who like Lake's singing in "Starless". Maybe I don't have perfect pitch or something.

What I like about the album is, it's thematic-ness. It sounds like a concept album (as it should). It sounds even shorter than it is, because it sounds like one long song.

Have you heard Be yet?

[BarryL]

Have you heard Be yet?

You must have seen that coming! How cornball.

I have Be but have only given it one spin before I got distracted with other things. I loved 12:05, and really like PofS. I need to get it back in rotation.

Does this White Willow remind you of Evanescence? There are similarities. Now, substituting Amy Lee for that WW singer would make them superstars of gothic metal prog! (Yeah, its a pretty small segment, but as Reis & Trout say, you should define a segment where you can position youself as the leader.)

[Dusty Chalk]

Does this White Willow remind you of Evanescence?

Not at all.