Review WILDERUN ‘Epigone’

Boston, Massachusetts, that is the home of Wilderun. Wilderun is an ambitious band, which is active since 2008. The first two albums were well received. Both albums were also the springboard for the band to close a record deal with Century Media, which gave the band another push.

With ‘Veil of Imagination’, the band released the first album for the new label in 2019 and received positive feedback throughout. Just as Wilderun’s career was really taking off, the pandemic got in the way of the guys, with consequences that are painfully familiar.

Frustrated by the situation, however, it became obvious relatively quickly that the band didn’t want to just wait it out, but took matters into their own hands. If not be touring, then work on new songs at least, that was the motto. The result of this work can be appreciated in the beginning of January.

‘Epigone’ is the title of the in the meantime fourth longplayer from Wilderun. Altogether nine tracks bring it to a time of 63 minutes. So quantity is guaranteed. But what about quality? Well, Wilderun are not known for simple and easy songs. Rather, we are dealing with more complex structures, which are often harmonious and melodic, but sometimes can also come up with harsh outbursts.

In this context, the opener is interesting. ‘Exhaler’ is an acoustic song that comes right at the beginning of the album. It’s a quiet and reflective start and what follows is ‘Woolgatherer’, a song that is with over 14 minutes the longest on the album. ‘Passenger’ and ‘Identifier’ are not insignificantly shorter and what all three tracks have in common, besides the length, is the variant way of giving life to such songs. Take ‘Wollgatherer’, a song where fragile and calm moments coexist with brute and frenzied excesses, both poles reinforcing each other.

This is also the case with ‘Distraction’, a song split into three parts. Cinematic moments, thundering riffs, well-done melodies and a good flow is what makes this trilogy stand out. Not to forger in this context is the closer ‘Distraction Nulla’, being the closing chapter.

‘Epigone’ is another milestone in Wilderun’s discography. It is a somber album at the same time, also due to the current Zeitgeist. With a lot of sensitivity the band has managed to record an album that despite a certain melancholy never loses the joy of melodies and great songs. Here are musicians at work who know what they are doing, and you can hear that with every note.