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This is the second time this year I'm receiving a promo directly from a band signed to Morbid Winter Records. Looks like those bands are pretty much left to themselves when it comes to promoting their material. I had this type of problem with labels located in European countries, but when you don't get any type of response from a label in your own country, I think it sucks!

Now that the bitching is over, let's talk about the good stuff, the music recorded on Hail Wind and Hewn Oak. Falls of Rauros is an American band, more precisely from Maine. Like label mates Sig-Ar-Tyr, Falls of Rauros is a Black Metal band with Folk/acoustic elements nicely woven into their musical phrases. This time around though, the guys from Maine are not as much into acoustic parts as their Canadian mates. Nonetheless, the acoustic guitars are present on just about every composition, and as always, this instrument adds an extra layer of melodic delicacy. Two of the tracks included are instrumentals — the opener "The Sun Tonight Has Set" and track # 4, "Fury in Our Blood, Thunder in Our Hearts". While the short intro is an ambient piece played on keyboards, the other number is a nice acoustic tune with wind sampling; a winning combination. The keyboards are scarce and never taking too much place in the song structure. For instance, in the last few minutes of the closing track "As Never Shall There Be" we can hear a bit of piano gracing the song with pleasant result. On the other hand, you also have the more metal side of this act with much faster paces, rasps, distorted guitar work, tremolo picking, and a slightly raw production, although not that bad nor demo-sounding. Quite a few compositions are worth mentioning here such as: "The Fire We Fathered", "To Witness Existence" and the instrumental on track #4.

Hail Wind and Hewn Oak stands as a pleasant Folk/Black Metal offering, brought to us by an American band.