The procession of remastered White Willow albums arrives at 2004’s Storm Season, a record that saw mainman Jacob Holm-Lupo lead his band in a new direction. Their previous works were rooted in folk and pastoral prog, and while traces of those elements are discernible in Storm Season, their fourth LP introduced metal and even gothic influences into the sound.
The arrival of three new players in the ranks – Wobbler’s Lars Fredrik Frøislie on keyboards and organ, cellist Sigrun Eng, and flautist Ketil Vestrum Einarsen – introduces some welcome textures and colours.
Frøislie delivers a tasteful organ solo in Nightside Of Eden and Chemical Sunset is elevated by the mournful intro by Einarsen and Eng’s beautiful cello playing, all of which sound fuller and more natural than the scraping metal guitar riffs.
Holm-Lupo has remastered the album for this edition, but it sounds rather disassociated. The drums are thin and slappy where they need to be full and punchy. The distorted guitar tones are scratchy and often abrasive.
The stronger tracks are the ones that hark back to White Willow’s folk prog roots, such as Endless Science. But the overall mix lacks depth and coherence, with little sense of the rhythm section being bedded in to provide a foundation for the melodies. Sylvia Erichsen’s voice sounds oddly dry, while Insomnia sees Frøislie take an organ solo that’s strangely positioned way back behind the bass.
This edition marks the first time it has been released on vinyl, and the format may explain the absence of the three bonus tracks that appeared on the 2014 Termo Records reissue – Headlights, previously available on the Japanese edition; and two demo tracks.
In 2004 Storm Season was White Willow’s best-selling album to that point. But unlike the remasters of Sacrament and Ignis Fatuus, it’s showing its age despite Holm-Lupo’s efforts to give the music a facelift.
Storm Season is on sale now via Karisma.
