Huntsmen – The Dry Land
Prosthetic Records
10,0/10,0
Brief:
Emerging from the shadows and plumes of smoke, Chicago, IL ensemble HUNTSMEN are set to make their return in 2024 with their third album, The Dry Land. On their first full-length in four years, HUNTSMEN’s The Dry Land traverses the liminal space between the living and the dead by lifting the veil of the abyss itself. Born of suffering and hardship, The Dry Land unifies the dark and light that resides in all of us through allegories of purgatorial strife and human spirit.
Following the release of their sophomore full-length, Mandala of Fear, in 2020 and The Dying Pines EP in 2022 HUNTSMEN’s intervening years between studio albums were marked with devastatingly contrasting highs and lows. Whilst their body of studio work continued to garner acclaim from fans and critics alike, chronic illness would become a recurring uphill battle for the ensemble. As these jarring mixed fortunes reached their apex towards the end of 2022, the band reached towards each other as old friends. Taking stock of four years of tribulations led to a reevaluation of what it is to be creatives and, in turn, ushered in a collective rebirth.
Writing sessions saw a number of artistic firsts for HUNTSMEN, most notably with the first full collaborative inclusion of vocalist Aimee Bueno-Knipe. The creative process soon saw HUNTSMEN adding more black metal influences into their Americana and folk tinged doom, evidenced most overtly on tracks such as This, Our Gospel and lead single In Time, All Things. Elsewhere, HUNTSMEN’s knack for finely crafted and richly layered melodies offer moments of resplendence on the slow burning Lean Times and closer The Herbsight.
Mirroring the circumstances and environment that led to its creation, The Dry Land’s pacing is one rooted in the art of rise and fall dynamics both musically and lyrically. Tales of escaping religious violence, malevolent apparitions and death incarnate all play key roles throughout the album’s narrative thread. HUNTSMEN treat each tale as both exorcism and exaltation, adding a pervasively unsettling quality to The Dry Land that is sure to stick long after the runtime is over.
The Dry Land was recorded and mixed by Pete Grossmann at Bricktop Studios before being placed in the hands of Brad Boatright for mastering, with the resulting sound adding a towering grandiosity to the album whilst simultaneously highlighting HUNTSMEN’s newfound corrosive qualities. The Dry Land’s striking cover art was created by Derek Setzer, depicting an immolating dancer in high contrast black and white amongst rusted gold. Through the fire, HUNTSMEN find themselves reborn on The Dry Land.
Tracklist:
1 – This, Our Gospel
2 – Cruelly Dawns
3 – Lean Times
4 – In Time, All Things
5 – Rain
6 – The Herbsight
Main Focus Tracks:
- Cruelly Dawns
- Lean Times
- In Time, All Things
- Rain
Other Recommended Tracks:
- This, Our Gospel
Line-Up:
Chris Kang – guitar and vocals
Aimee Bueno-Knipe – vocals
Marc Stranger-Najjar – bass and vocals
Ray Bueno-Knipe – drums and vocals
Gavin Cushman – guitar and vocals
Kirill Orlov – guitar (on The Dry Land studio recording only)
Comments:
Worthy successor of Mandala of Fear, The Dry Land propels Huntsmen in another dimension, that of the great American rock scene. Here HUNTSMEN adding more black metal influences into their music. One of the best records released in the genre in 2024!
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Selected Discography:
Post War EP – 2014
The Colonel EP – 2016
American Scrap – 2018
Mandala of Fear – 2020
The Dry Land – 2024
Photo Credit: Sam Porter