Lion Trail – Fragments of Encoded Memories
Lion Trail is an impressive one-man project based on Folk/Neofolk and Post Rock, with hardcore/metal elements thrown in between.
Fragments of Encoded Memories opens the album with style and grace. The vivid imagery is painted ever so impeccably with reverse-pianos, blaring strings and head-pounding drums. The candid vocals are raw, powerful and scantly mixed in. The dissonance of percussion and bells gracefully end the song. Fragile vocals carry And Then… beautifully amidst a fragmented cowbell and serene jam into an introspective climatic second half. Reverse pianos once again relay the atmosphere. Split Ends is a much quieter affair, introducing delightful keys to the listener, further perpetuating the listener into a cosy, welcoming environment. Erratic frequencies and abstract vocals evolve halfway through, descending further into madness and leading into Aslyum, a solid follow-up track littered with orderly drumming. The track crescendos into a lovely section embraced with twangy guitars and muffled vocals. Torture Garden continues the trend with clearer vocals and a varied composition. Through the Heavens repeats the ideas previously introduced earlier in the track-listing, though is extremely expressive and well-composed. Much could be said about the track that follows suit, Remains the Same. Both tracks are missing the varied composition and atmosphere that make the first few tracks stand out, though. Torture Garden is an awesome step forward, blending neo-folk and krautrock in a delightful fashion. The album ends with the impeccable track Shores of Reality; At the End of a Dream. The last two songs are by far the best on the album. The opening riffs are magical. The progression of the track is natural and engaging. The re-introduction of the bells is bliss, though a reminder to how little diversity there is through the rest of the album.
While the playful drumming is always delightfully mixed in and the guitars are always sublime, the vocal mixing leaves something to be desired. At times it works and contributes to the atmosphere, such as in Remains the Same, though at times it’s indistinguishable and self-indulgent, such as during the second half of Torture Garden. The vocals are strongest during Monster Reborn! and Shores of Reality, where they are confident and mixed in beautifully. Nonetheless, the vocalist himself has an awesome personality and I quite admire his performance. Moreover, his vocal style works perfectly within his music.
It’s tempting to give an artist bonus points for creating their work individually, though Lion Trail’s works sounds like a full band as it is. I admire his ability to layer each instrument over each other charmingly and logically. It’s lacking some fresh ideas, but it is impeccably composed. Lion Trail excels during the most sombre moments, the most explosive, and any tempo in between. He is a master of his craft just finding his feet, and I am extremely eager to hear what’s next. If his demos on shill-threads are any indication of what’s to come, I’m expecting something truly remarkable.
Really Good
Listen to him here:
Lion Trail – Fragments of Encoded Memories
