In celebration of its official worldwide unveiling today, Woodfall, the latest EP from Canadian neofolk trio MUSK OX, is currently streaming in its entirety.
Nearly six years in the making, Woodfall is a one-hour, five-part progressive chamber folk epic for classical guitar, cello, and violin which sees MUSK OX pushing their lush sounds to soaring new heights. Inspired by Canada’s brilliant landscapes, MUSK OX meshes the acoustic textures of neofolk with the expansiveness of post rock, the intricacies of progressive rock, and the emotional mass of metal into a forlorn sonic passage through natural realms where darkness and light, substance and void, sorrow and joy, exist as a single entity.
The Onion’s A.V. Club commends the offering for its “elegant, chamber-folk air that manages to be earthy and ethereal at the same time.” Pitchfork notes, “Whatever it may lack in heavy metal thunder or ravishing grimness, MUSK OX more than makes up for with its richness in atmosphere and emotion, created in tune with the natural world and its terrifying beauty,’ while Aural Delights champions the band’s lavish, “chamber music which skirts with post-rock and elegiac ambiance. Reflective, calming, and measured. A delightful listening experience.”
Take in Woodfall, now playing at the official MUSK OX BandCamp page at THIS LOCATION.
About MUSK OX:
MUSK OX formed in 2005 by Nathanaël Larochette, a metalhead who left the university, purchased a classical guitar, and discovered Ulver’s Kveldssanger, and Empyrium’s Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays, two albums which would change the course of his life. Alongside Finnish mystical folk legends Tenhi and October Falls, the music known as neofolk would lay the foundation for what would eventually become MUSK OX. Now featuring members Raphael Weinroth-Browne (cello) and Evan Runge (violin), MUSK OX has released two full-length albums and three self-recorded demos. Additionally, Larochette offers three interlude contributions to Agalloch‘s latest full-length release The Serpent & The Sphere, out now via Profound Lore.
