Desolate North
| Desolate North | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Celestiial | ||||
| Released | June 6, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2004–05, United States | |||
| Genre | Funeral doom metal | |||
| Length | 44:05 | |||
| Label | Bindrune Recordings | |||
| Producer | Tanner Anderson | |||
| Celestiial chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Decibel Magazine | Positive |
| Sea of Tranquility | |
| Maelstrom |    |
| Stylus Magazine | Negative |
Desolate North is the debut studio album by the funeral doom metal band Celestiial, first released by Bindrune Recordings on June 6, 2006. It comprises the five tracks from Celestiial's demo, Ashen, combined with three more tracks recorded separately. It was written, performed and recorded entirely by Tanner Anderson, the member of Celestiial, and was never written to be an album or to be performed. The Bindrune CD release is out-of-print, but Desolate North is still available digitally and in LP-format, the latter having been released by music distributor Handmade Birds in 2011.
The album received mixed reviews—some critics claimed it was fresh and a new sound, while others argued it was very similar to music already available. Desolate North has an extremely slow rhythm and has only limited vocals. The music is interspersed with various woodland sounds, such as running water and footsteps. The natural imagery used on the album is reminiscent of that used in black metal, but the music is closer to ambient.
The album was recorded in three parts. First, Anderson recorded the music for Ashen. This was done in a wooden loft in the corner of the rehearsal space used by Azrael, of whom Anderson was, at the time, a member. Anderson has said that he does not remember how long this recording took him, as he slept there after finishing the work. He described that space as perfect for the recording, as there was nothing there to distract him.
As the entire album was recorded and played by Anderson, the only option was to record the music in layers. First, he recorded the drums, using a drum kit. However, he was unhappy with the way they sounded, and so re-recorded on a drum machine. The next layers to be recorded were the guitar, bass and vocals, with other sounds being added later.
The other three songs on Desolate North one was recorded at the same place in early 2005, and the other two, the harp pieces, were recorded at Anderson's home. He has said how this was the most difficult part of the recording. As it happened, Anderson misplaced his microphone stand and so recorded those two songs with the microphone tucked under his chin. Despite the hindrance, Anderson claimed that the microphone picked up everything, and he was happy with the result.
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