We almost never just post stand-alone news announcements, but we’re making an exception here — and to cut to the chase, Panopticon has now released its eagerly awaited new album, The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness (I and II).
Austin Lunn shared the album with a few select friends, but requested no reviews before the release of the album. And so you won’t see one in this post, but you will see one tomorrow, simply because the album inspires too many thoughts and reactions that might cause me some kind of internal damage if I don’t get them off my chest and out of my mind.
For now, I just want to share the stream and links to the places where the album can be downloaded and ordered in physical editions (my own vinyl order should be arriving any day). But first, here is a statement from Austin Lunn that appears on the Bandcamp page where it can be downloaded:
“This is the full two disk, 2 hour long album sequenced as one long record, as it was meant to be heard. Please don’t listen to the album on your laptop speakers, it will sound like shit. Give it a shot on a long hike or by a fire with headphones. The first half of the album is atmospheric metal, the second half is more americana focused, so beware if you hate country/folk.
cheers
-A
For a digital edition of the album, and to read further details about it, and about who participated in the recording, go here:
Physical editions of the album are being released by Bindrune (North Amwerica) and Nordvis (Europe). I’ll leave the links here, although it appears that Bindrune has already sold out of the 2xCD edition.
Bindrune Double Vinyl
Bindrune Slipcase Double CD
Nordvis Slipcase Double CD
Nordvis Double Vinyl
Holy shit, this thing. Been listening at work all morning, and at the risk of sounding cornball, I’ve gotten choked up a few times. Love it when an album is as good as you’d hoped it would be.
So far my album of the year. I love and respect Austins work and this album for me is his magnum opus. Simply amazing!
Oof, Im gonna be that guy and say that I think this is the least interesting thing hes put out. Its definitely, objectively, good. Ie, well played, passionate, recorded well (the drumming is monster), but its suffering from a few things.
To start, I know this is rote, but I think the second disc just needs to go. Whatever.. Bonus disc. Ideally a few of those songs would have found there way into the first half, and then the first half could be edited down a little bit and you’d have one mighty good album. As it stands the first half is feeling too samey for me and it lacks the hills and valleys of his previous three albums. I still need a few more listens, but at this age and depth of listening to metal, I know what I want and what I like without having to really try to hard at it. As for the folk side… or what have you… Some of its good… some of its not for me. I dont have any real complaints… just thats it not my thing. I loved the bluegrass intro to Lost Road from “Roads to the North”, but nothing here conjures that same wild-eyed campfire feel of that one song.
Wow – just fucking wow. I really like all of Panopticon’s albums, though Autumn Eternal stands as my favourite, or at least it did until two days ago. More listens are required, but four or five of the tracks from Part I already stand as some of Panopticon’s best songs, and the triple threat that begins with En Hvit Ravns Dod and ends with Sheep in Wolves Clothing is likely the best 23 minutes of music that Lunn ever created.