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Greetings my woodland void critters! This week Ryan and I take a wonderful musical hike with another Osi and The Jupiter release. The folk geniuses drop us right in the heart of the Appalachian mountain range. In contrast to their previous release, which was inspired more by Norse regions, I found this album to be quite relatable and personal (being that the band is from that region). Appalachia is full of cello infused beauty and enchanting acoustic guitar work. The vocals have this morose folktale delivery that makes you feel like the spirit of the forest is speaking directly to you. The emotions released within the composition of the various stringed instruments always leave me in awe and the added ambient textures only draw me deeper into its immersive landscape. All three tracks in this release have an unbelievable sound to them that just makes me get lost in mindful creativity. The Binding Will of Mountains is an absolute masterpiece of a song.
The one consistent thing this pandemic has made me do more is hike. I’ve hiked the majority of county/state parks and open space preserves in the California Bay Area since March. It has become a saving grace when I feel like everything else in life is uncertain for many. So hearing the compassion and devotion to nature in this album just adds to my positive thoughts. Hell, I even embrace my inner hippie and open this episode up forcing Ryan to talk about his favorite trees. I recommend listening to Appalachia while on an earthly stroll as it’s the best soundtrack you can find for it. Strap on your boots, put on your sunscreen (if you are as pasty as me), and set off on a cleansing trek.
Osi and The Jupiter are a pagan folk band that resides in Kent, Ohio. The founder Sean Kratz does the instrumentals, vocals, and arrangements, while Kakophonix is the cello master. They have released a handful of other albums since 2017. Appalachia was released on July 31st, 2020. They are currently on the label Eisenwald where you can many other quality pagan folk acts. It’s nice to always note that the band got its name from Sean’s two German Shepherds!
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If you like what you hear, you can digitally purchase Appalachia at the Osi and The Jupiter’s Bandcamp page. Vinyl is also available via Eisenwald (be aware that there is a North American store and a European store). You can follow the band on Facebook and Instagram too!
Also, if you’d like to support us beyond listening to our podcast, you can do so by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. There you can read all of our notes for each album review episode we publish, gain early access to every episode before its official release.
If you’re keen on chatting music, shooting us some recommendations, or talking about other forms of media (videogames, films, etc.), please feel free to join us on our Discord server! Up next on the podcast docket is an interview with the black metal-tinged breakbeat/electronic producer Insanity Check (Monday, Oct. 26th), followed by a review of Stoploss’s debut LP, Wander. Defy. Relent. Decay. (Thursday, Oct. 29th).
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