Composer Reacts to Wilderun - Passenger (REACTION & ANALYSIS)

[@ryanm.7147]

Wilderun is my absolute favorite band current making music. Glad you checked them out. Every album is a journey.

[@ckokomo808]

This was my AOTY from week one of 2022. Veil of Imagination is a fantastic album. Epigone to me is a much more subtle album playing with tension not just with harsh/clean vocals but with volume, layers, tempo, etc. It’s also an easy album to take you away on a journey while also having lots of complexity to pick out. I’m sure with my ears, I’m missing a lot of connections they intended, but I find something new and exciting in almost every listen. I’m also a huge fan of the “American folk” instruments throughout- dulcimer, banjo, violin in a fiddle style, mandolin, I’m sure I’m missing many. Interesting thoughts on the vocals tying the metal and classical together. Like the “Rule of Cool” for metal! Definitely true!

[@ASNnKC913]

Innate Passage just barely topped this for me, but that's sort of a testament to this album lol. THAT'S what it took to beat it. Astonishing album.

[@zoomoo318]

You mentioned wanting more acts that blend the symphonic elements with the metal while retaining the qualities of orchestral music, i would highly, highly recommend/point you to Aquilus which combines orchestral music and black metal that goes beyond just the concepts of symphonic black metal. Loss and The Fawn are my two favs from him!

[@ryanm.7147]

I second this. Griseus is a one of a kind masterpiece

[@EvilZlo]

I third this. Still waiting for this reaction, it must come one day! Just one of a kind album.

[@AlfW]

Whenever you ask informed folks for a band like old Opeth, the name Wilderun will be mentioned. That's how I got to know them also, but the first song that got me hooked (a while ago) was this one. Thanks for reacting to it!

[@JacobNates]

Played a show with these dudes back in June. They absolutely blew me away and are super nice people!

[@jthomashair]

This album was one of my favorites of last year! So many awesome surprises. I feel like the ending makes more sense in context with the tracks around it.

[@janeg6759]

I really liked this. Adding to my playlist 🙂

[@jpaulcrosby]

I just started listening to this band. From reading other comments, I feel like there’s a huge reward to this once it clicks. I like individual elements, but the piece as a whole hasn’t coalesced into something I can sink my teeth into. I’ll keep at it. Definitely elements of dream theater and Opeth here.

[@johanliljeblad1236]

Yeah, you really should review the entire "Veil of Imagination" album. An absolute masterpiece!

[@CriticalReactions]

I thought they were on my list already but I guess not. I've added Veil of Imagination now.

[@johanliljeblad1236]

@@CriticalReactions Me too. Think you even suggested it yourself after reacting to The Unimaginable Zero Summer two years ago.

[@progperljungman8218]

​@@johanliljeblad1236Misson accomplished 😊

[@Eric998765]

Found Wilderun recently and instantly fell in love. I hope they are around for years to come. They remind me of peak Therion, but even better.

[@fernandohenriqueribeiro9337]

Great reaction! Loved how you caught a lot of details in the background About the ending, they played with tension in the whole album. Some element of tension pops off every now and then in different tracks, sometimes even unnecessarily, and i guess this is just another one of them. The album's name Epigone means "a lesser imitator" and the lyrical themes seem to be about songwriting and creativity. I think those moments of tension are related to how they felt about writing an album after Veil of Imagination's huge sucess.

[@ckokomo808]

Nice take on the lyrics. I’m still digesting the music. This was my AOTY. The lyrical theme you pose is interesting when I think about Wilderun and then Rivers of Nihil. Both seem to be tackling a similar topic yet have different outcomes sonically and emotionally.

[@billybobthekidiswack]

This song did to you what game of thrones did to me lol. But yeah this album and Xanthochroid- Of erthe & Axen (part 1 and 2) are pretty good symphonic metal albums I think you'd really enjoy.

[@jthomashair]

That Xanthochroid double album is one of my favorite things ever

[@alertsquirrel]

So, I was really disappointed in this album the first time that I listened to it. However, it's now one of my favorite albums. I'm not sure if it's because I know that it's coming, but the ending now feels perfect to me. And as with Veil and Sleep, you really, really need to listen to their albums like you'd watch a movie. It's honestly why I don't listen to them as often as I'd like to; while their songs can definitely stand on their own, they just flow together so well that I find it hard to listen to them separately.

[@Dosenpruegel]

Thank you Bryan, I enjoyed this very much, especially the moment you gave up the time counting. ^^ Glad to see you beeing surprised more and more through this epic ride. I kinda feel your 'a kid in an candy store' analogy, since my first listen (as a mainly casual listener) was exactly like this: standing in a room full of treats and wonderful things and every few seconds, 'oh behold, a new harmony-bonbon and look there, whats that, it looks so epic and... ohhhhh whats this?'. 😁🤤 What I love about this track is, that I can really sink in to the music and feel no need to actively aknowledge the lyrical content, I can hear the phonation, tones and melodies within the words without their meaning and just let the river flow together with the music. I hope this wasn't the last time for you checking out Wilderun, I'm stoked for the next time, best regards from germany. :)

[@CriticalReactions]

It's been almost 2 years since the last time I had them on the channel and I'm hoping the next time won't be so long away

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Really awesome track from a band whose name I've heard a lot but whose music I've yet to hear. This was just awesome symphonic prog metal. I can hear influences from a variety of sources from Dream Theater to Opeth to Nightwish to Agalloch but it doesn't sound derivative of any of them, which is impressive in its own right. Just loved the variety of this and both how good all the sections were in isolation but also how well they flowed together (for the most part). It's also quite technically complex without being ostentatious about it; it sounds like every riff and rhythm fits musically rather than just being there to show off. Just really great stuff on every level. Will definitely have to make them a priority once I get back to pop/rock/metal.

[@progperljungman8218]

Do think there's really, really similar things to Devin Townsend and Opeth. Also think they're really, really good! And they do sound different as well 😊

[@lovemetal4884]

their album veil of imagination is one of the best album ever made in this century. very underrated band

[@jarunia17]

Best track on the album, the part from 3:52 is Opeth as fuck which is good of course. I agree with your reply to one of the comments, Wilderun should have more reactions on your channel haha Maybe an album analysis? ;)

[@tropiq]

Their previous album hit me out of nowhere, didn't know about the band before, it was great, ended up 2nd on my personal top list of that year, the first track was a bit opeth worship at times but it still went beyond into their own thing and the album as a whole is phenomenal, now coming from that i expected a lot from this current album and i can't pinpoint exactly why but it didn't hit it for me at all, no fault musically, the elements are all there and they're performed excellently but it just washes over me and doesn't stick at all

[@thruadapt290]

This album is amazing, though I prefer their album before this which is "Veil Of Imagination". That said, I would like you to react to the album "After The Magic" by Parannoul. My top contender for the album of the year of 2023 which is very hard to beat. It's relentlessly beautiful and elegant with some of the most hopeful, vibrant yet tragic lyrics. It's in a different language than english so you might need to pull up the lyrics on some website. I could not recommend this enough.

[@Freddespelarspel]

I like this album overall, but it is sometimes little to much to take in and you almost need a second listen. Also in this song as example, the ending is wierd/lacking because you did not have that acoustic guitar anywhere else in this track. But overall I like this album and journey it takes me, even if the journey is little bit broken here and there, or just sometimes overwhelming.

[@TheJosous]

amazing dissection of an amazing song and band. but i long for their simpler pirating days, the first two albuns are probably my favourite ever and i can't stand knowing nothing like that will ever be released by these guys again..

[@michealpants]

Their debut album is definitely my favorite work from them which would seem to be a hot take since everyone always talks about Veil, and while Veil is great, there is something so special about the folky pirate nature of Olden Tales and it always sticks with me. Those songs are also the most fun to sing too.

[@alevegadiaz8605]

One of the best progressive metal band out there