Arnica — Lecho de Piedra
Each of the albums twelve tracks is built around an often urgent, moody & stern mixture of layers of strummed acoustic guitar, different types of drum & percussive elements, up-fount & often theatrical Iberian lead vocals & warrior like chants. Also mixed into the tracks we get touches of formal instrumentation such as: accordion, Catalonian bagpipe flute, mouth harp, & Gralla (a traditional Catalan double reed instrument). And less formal & primal sonic elements such as: stones, bones, antlers, ratchets, cowbells, & field recordings- taking in the sounds of the forests, fires, and rivers.
The pace of the album moves from up-beat & urgent, to slightly slower & moody fare…though mostly the tracks tend towards the more rapid & stern focus. I can’t really say melody wise any of the songs really stuck out, but the album is less about tuneful fare & more about creating a moody & stern feeling of traditional Iberia warriors, death, and the legends of this ancient land.
The CD comes in an eight panel digipak that features stark pictures of stranding stones, ancient stone cravings, & dead/ rotting animals in nature- it’s all very fitting for the mood of the album it’s self.
If you enjoy the likes of other Ahnstern/ Percht artists such as Sangre Cavallum, or dark & more stern Sturmpercht material- you’ll find this album a fairly rewarding & moody experience. I can’t say this is one of the most consistent or memorable releases with-in the earthy & Alpine Folk music genre, but it’s a passable enough effort.