The Republic of Wolves – Varuna
Release Date: November 28, 2010
Record Label: Self-released
His Old Branches was a beast of an EP. Sure, it did lack a bit of production value. Emotionally and thematically though, it was a brace to your heart as it was ripped from the inside out to show you its own worth. It was dark, yet vaguely hopeful. Lyrically The Republic of Wolves' debut was visceral and comforting all at once. It was the internal lesson you never wanted presented, but was well reflected upon. In seven songs, a little known album took the blogs and digital word of mouth by storm due to its vigorous storytelling and (dis)comforting intake.
Now lies anticipation, and highly so, for the band's debut full-length, Varuna - one of the most devastatingly internal struggles of a record I've had the uncomfortable pleasure of listening to through and through for the past few weeks. Like the complete opposite auras of the back to back "Spill" and "Cardinals" on the band's EP, Varuna is completely bi-polar in its delivery of biblical lyrics worthy of "The Divine Comedy," and shifting timbre between hope and uncertainty. It's a fable that is lost and buried in our inner worst fears and acceptances.
When bells toll and the instruments kick in after sixteen seconds, you know you're in for one of the most powerful albums you'll hear all year. Easily comparable in execution to records by The Felix Culpa and/or The Dear Hunter, riding through this album's journey, Varuna is like being lost in Middle Earth without a map. "Woolen Blankets" immediately slows the album down after a powerful prologue, but blasts back in before the click rhythms of "Sea Smoke" and the uplifting fury of a single, "Oarsman." "Pitch and Resin" and "Monologues" make a more positive interlude before the mid-album build and release of "Tuez Le Tous, Dieu Reconnaitra Les Siens" into "Greek Fire." This is where the band absolutely shines. An earthy intro track that pounds into a darkened heavy crescendo and decrescendo of raw emotion. Not feeling consumed by the feeling of the latter song's delivery is like being soulless. That's what this band does best. It consumes every struggling feeling within your most hidden, stored away thoughts.
"The Attic," "You Missed the Point" and "Grounded, I Am Traveling Light" piggy back a sense of exorcising relief - a better morning to a war over the past few months. Then "Tanzih" and "Tashbih" act as the epilogue to the whole modern opera. "Tashbih" rides waves traveling back to the ringing bell from which the album chimed in from. The listener has essentially traveled his or her way back to the beginning of the story. The Republic of Wolves not only lock you through an entire post-modern audible tale, they cleverly tie it up in detail.
Varuna is very much a binding fable of a record. Much like Sever Your Roots earlier this year, the album is a dark journey that is a complete psychological introspective view of oneself. The music across Varuna is just as powerful, as the band instrumentally match up against the album's lyrical content, and complement both the story and its moods perfectly. The Republic of Wolves has released one of the best debut full-lengths I've heard in a few years. They have blown past a few other veteran releases this year as well, creating one of the best records that is truly built upon creative structure and passionate lyrical interventions.
I really like the comparison to The Felix Culpa in terms of feel - something about this album really reminded me of Sever Your Roots, but I can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's the unconventionally (for this genre anyway) long songs.
Perhaps your best review, Adam. I can't believe this band is unsigned...this record will be the first step for them to be propelled into the stratosphere where Brand New and Manchester Orchestra are.
I really like the comparison to The Felix Culpa in terms of feel - something about this album really reminded me of Sever Your Roots, but I can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's the unconventionally (for this genre anyway) long songs.
The review and this comment have me really excited for this record. Sever Your Roots is near my album of the year, but maybe this will give it a good run.
Perhaps your best review, Adam. I can't believe this band is unsigned...this record will be the first step for them to be propelled into the stratosphere where Brand New and Manchester Orchestra are.
People keep saying this, but the band keeps saying they turned offers down because they want to remain unsigned. So I CAN believe they are unsigned.
Browse Reviews
Write a Review
Alphabetized Listing
Popular Reviews
Best New Music
View Artist Profile
View News Articles
Stream the Music
Buy the Album or MP3s
View Profile Picture
View Blog
View Signature
Posts: 5,201
Follow This Review
More Reviews By This Author