This past Month has seen many awesome new releases, some by established bands and several newcomers putting out stellar records. One of the former, the haunting Musk Ox from the chilled wilds of Canada, has dropped the neofolk Woodfall album on top of us, like a powdered snowbank.

The album is ethereal, each note hanging in the air like a mist, wrapping and clinging to the walls of your mind. Its a masterpiece, and one of the top releases I have heard this year. Musk Ox uses classical stringed instruments, with trained guitar, to create soundscapes of orchestral composition, utilizing leitmotifs and melodies to communicate emotion without lyrical content at all. It’s a very different kind of metal, but one that worms its way into you.

The songs are very emotional, driving on with purpose. I adore classical and orchestral music, as it is some of the most raw and driven music you can find. Its a hammer to the soul, gets you right in the gut. This music has taken the bait, and run to the horizons. If you’re looking for something very unique, and maybe just different from the brutality of every other release, check out Woodfall from Musk Ox, out now on fine music retailers everywhere.