Noekk - Carol Stones and Elder Rock (2018)

Only making us wait for ten years, we finally get another brilliant release from Noekk, even if its a short 7 inch one. With “Carol Stones and Elder Rock”, Schwadorff and Thomas Helm tease listeners with four tracks of their upcoming full length release. Full of lush and yet simple arrangements, this release continues the band’s legacy with some unique and mysterious songs that will certainly captivate fans of Dark/Folk Rock.

The wait is over with the somber intro track “A Loss”, which creates a very dark and yet mysterious atmosphere that brings you back to the band’s earlier work and reminds you as well of outfits like Of the Wand and the Moon and Empyrium. The transition to “Pan” is seamless and leads into a lush keyboard atmospherics and haunting string elements. The pace is quite well crafted as it creates a bit of an anxious feel, but at the same times soothes the listeners with its atmospherics.

The vocal arrangements of “A Vision” make this song instantly standout, while the acoustic elements remind us of the early days of Tenhi. Saving the best for last, “Archaic Tune” is a very dramatic song which features a more intense pace and very cool instrumentation, keeping things interesting and always changing. Clocking in at over five minutes, this song perfectly switches moods and tempos to craft a unique and nearly divine experience.

Overall, “Carol Stones and Elder Rock” is one hell of a teaser for the band’s upcoming release. If you are a fan of Noekk, Tenhi, Elend, Empyrium, etc., this is definitely one release you do not want to miss. We are quite excited about how the full album comes together, but it sounds like it will be another majestic release.

Label: Prophecy Productions

Release: Septmber 28th, 2018

Genre: Dark Folk/Rock / Neo-folk

Country: Germany