Closing off the reissue series that Karisma Records has done throughout the White Willow catalog, its time to give it a perfect send-off as they tackle the band’s sixth studio album originally released in 2011 on the Termo label in 2011 in their home country of Norway, and on Ken Golden’s Laser’s Edge label in the States. After Signal to Noise, the band were exhausted and worn-out from their 2006 release and took a hiatus until 2011.
Terminal Twilight was a return back to the progressive genre and a return to form once more as they were delving into the underbelly of the Italian progressive rock genre. With Mattias Olsson coming back in to the core along with Sylvia Erichsen since 2004’s Storm Season, it was like the whole family was back on its toes and give them the album that is like capturing a diamond in the rough.
And to be allowed to have Tim Bowness on this bad boy, you can’t go wrong with that. But they had proven themselves that White Willow aren’t just a prog-rock band.
Take for example, ‘Snowswept’ this is where I can imagine Jacob was listening to The Arcade Fire’s Funeral album for inspiration and created his own take of the opening song ‘Neighborhood 1 (Tunnels)’ but with a baroque and electronic take of what the band were doing in that time frame. Bowness lends a helping hand on the lukewarm turned tragic acoustic folk-lore ‘Kansas Regrets’, setting up the tragedy that’s occurring in the song of a relationship gone wrong.
Sylvia’s voice delves deeper into the darker territories in this electronica and prog-orientated force as she tips her hat to the Icelandic singer Bjork on the opening track ‘Hawks Circle the Mountain’. There’s something brutal lurking across the landscape as earthquakes erupt for White Willow to channel their evil forces in the minds of early Sabbath and Van der Graaf Generator when it comes to ominous textures with some heavy flute playing.
When I think of ‘Floor 67’ I think of the sombering beauty, and the loss of a loved one, and this incredible fast-paced beat the band tackle into. But Sylvia soars across the sky with her Jane Sieberry appreciation to bring hope, peace, and wonder across our home planet. Then, it goes into the Steven Wilson route in the midsection where White Willow channel his first two solo albums; Insurgentes and Grace for Drowning with mellotrons, heavy guitar textures, and witnessing a nervous breakdown right in front of our eyes.
Whenever I hear a Mellotron, I always say; “Mellotrons Galore!” because the sound of violin, strings, cello, horns, and choir come bursting through the floodgates to see how wonderful this band can carry the prog torch as if they were raising it up like Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir from the Marvel comics.
The 13-minute piece ‘Searise’ is where all of the bets that you made, are completely off the table. Here, the band channel their delicious Italian prog dinner served well-made with massive amounts of food and red wine, served to them as they eat it up with nods to Alusa Fallax, Le Orme, Museo Rosenbach, and il Balletto di Bronzo. They have known the source material well enough to see how much flute, guitars, and keyboards can float into our universe in the solar system that’s waiting to be heard.
True to its power, form, and incredible music that’s weighed upon their sound, White Willow have reached a homecoming with their reissue catalog from Karisma. And what a ride it’s been. It is time to give this band, the proper recognition they truly deserve. Now, where did I put my pasta menu that I need to cook for them?
