(2020) Steve Von Till - No Wilderness Deep Enough


Review:
Steve Von Till‘s fifth solo retreat, No Wilderness Deep Enough, is an exquisitely immersive listen. Best known as guitarist and vocalist for post-metal legends Neurosis, Von Till’s newest solo album is composed of dark, spacious ambient arrangements anchored by solemn, soothing vocals. The collection’s singular evocative space is built from moods, tones and textures that strike as almost spiritual in nature. The sense of this is made even more coherent through the lyrics. No Wilderness Deep Enough arrives with Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems and Collected Lyrics, a new book by Von Till containing pieces from his solo career and Harvestman project. The writing throughout this book, which includes the lyrics to No Wilderness Deep Enough, is cryptic and insightful, and often connected through natural and existential themes. Opener “Dreams of Trees” invites the listener into the album’s engrossing and haunting atmosphere, with shimmering echoes and deep tones that tremble at the edges with static. The cello, pulses and piano of “Indifferent Eyes,” accompanied by Von Till’s gruff, earnest delivery, showcase a knowingness behind the lyrics that is present throughout the album and unfolds more with every listen. “Shadows on the Run” is reminiscent of some of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s chilling neo-classical, except more foreboding. Instrumental elements build, some twinkling and melancholic, others pulsing and thick. Closer “Wild Iron” has a feeling of relief and openness. Von Till’s voice echoes overtop of a rippling sonic expanse, with one of the album’s best lines: “The silent stories we tell ourselves / Map the terrain of our true nature.” This is an album of slow, beautiful progressions and layering. The mix of instrumentation grounded by deep, gothic vocals gives the collection a subtly psychedelic and calming feel. No Wilderness Deep Enough is an enduring excursion into Von Till’s moving and mystical world, perfect for getting lost in.





Tracklist:
01 - Dreams of Trees
02 - The Old Straight Track
03 - Indifferent Eyes
04 - Trail the Silent Hours
05 - Shadows On the Run
06 - Wild Iron


Media Report:
Genre: alternative folk
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits