V▲LH▲LL - WOODS

I do believe it's been a while since the last V▲LH▲LL release, but I am sure glad that these two are back with their unique viking sensibilities adding to the already fantastic witch house flavors they're known for. Their latest EP is titled WOODS, and is an EP that just released not two days ago. This time, however, they're taking a classic children's song and crafting it into a creepy manifestation that we can all enjoy.

The title track of the EP, Down In the Woods, takes queues and elements from Henry Hall & His Orchestra's version of the classic children's song "The Teddy Bear's Picnic". The original song itself, while jolly in tone, had odd lyrics that weren't all too friendly sounding. V▲LH▲LL aims to match the lyrics with a darker mood to the song, and does that wonderfully.

The draggy, witchy beats are ever present with some higher pitched, astounding sounds that just add onto the delicious sound we're presented with. There are three sets of vocals placed within the song; there's the female vocals which manage to remain both gorgeous and dismantling at the same time, the low pitched, growling backing vocals that help move the female's along, and the third sound as if they came straight from the original song. It's as if a poltergeist decided to interrupt the middle of a lovely song made for the young ones and then proceed to scare the ever loving shit out of them with these tenacious beats. Wonderfully well done.

And then, as it is an EP, there came three remixes of the same song. The first was done by Wychdoktor. Deeper in bass, and focusing more on instrumentation rather than vocal sets this time around, the remix was well done. There was a nice little drop added, as well as drums, and that was welcomed.

Ceremonial Dagger provided a pretty different remix of the single, incorporating elements of IDM into the mix. As it was, the mix became a bit more dance oriented and not as macabre as the other two versions. While I thought that took away from the overall motif, this was still well done on its own.

Mircalla came along for the next remix, and added a bit more of a brisk pace. In light of their other works and sticking with their natural accent, the song rids a lot of the dragging effects and replaces them with a more steady beat. They also mainly stuck with the female vocals to suit the mood better.

The last song on the album, the B-side track, To Meya Onpiov Jumps Across The Water, was an original done by V▲LH▲LL. Nice little instrumental piece done by them with some decent background noise and those lovely dragging lines. A nice beat performs well on its own. Though I did enjoy this one, it could not compare to Down In the Woods by far.

And, that's that. Once more, V▲LH▲LL has shown off that they can create a masterpiece as easy as day. I always enjoy their pieces that inquire both vocals and instrumental works in the same retrospect, and that's exactly what Down In the Woods did to me. Fantastic in its own sense, the remixers also brought three more versions to really get. Huge respect to Ceremonial Dagger, Mircalla, and Wychdoktor for each of their versions of the song; they were a wonder to adore. The final song, though it may not have been as enticing as the A-side, was still glorious to listen to on its own.

And though I praise this EP so much, I also walk away from it with a heavy heart. And that's because I don't know when another full length will come from this outfit; I can only hope that it shall come along soon so that I can enjoy it to the fullest. For now, this will satiate my appetite. Go get it. It's pay-what-you-want on Bandcamp; there's no reason you're not getting this. Jul 10 2014