Crom – Of Love and Death

As I requested this album to review, I never knew it would have stuck my subconscious with such fervor and strength which had transported the album into my dreams for almost a week long.

Walter “Crom” Grosse had hit such an epic masterpiece with “Of Love and Death”. By this solo composer, his musical vision hails from a Quorthonesque body with traditional Viking lore, Opeth-like melodies of shattering beauty, and a quagmire of despair. In my opinion, the minimalist approach of Crom reaches something deeper within Grosse’s despair, comparing to “Vengeance.” Below is a week’s worth of dreams after I first listened to this album.

As I open mine eyes, peering over bloody fields of battle ridden plains, the sun reaches through the dried blood of mine now past enemies. The adventure never ends, and yet I yearn for the beginning once again, finding the reason to live. I clean myself of the nightly filth I’ve gathered, pondering the direction I shall now ride.

‘Tis North I ride, memorized by the gallop of my steed, your memory floods my sight once again. “Together, forever, our love will never die” you spoke. This rhythm I hear, I feel, we are only just one blink from despair and yet I ride on. Despair keeps me on strong, on my path, along this broken path with a broken life, a broken heart. This path can only be paved alone, one man, this man.

I know this mistress of cold steel, she is like warm dagger into cold stone. My destiny, a wound that does not heal, fetid full of carrion. I know I’m on my way to die.

Throughout the year, I haven’t had many album get me so enthralled like “Of Love and Death”. A great surprise and I hope to see a band able to one day bring this to the stage. This album also was #3 in my list of best albums of 2011.