(Review by Mike)
Besides David Eugene Edwards love of combining two words into one, he's also got a penchant for making haunting soulful music. Those who are familiar with Wovenhand and Edwards' old project, 16 Horsepower, won't be shocked by anything on this record; which is not to say that it's stale or predictable, but rather that there are no radical departures from the sound he has established as being "his".
Continuing to contradict what it seems like I was saying above, this album does have a few new tricks up the band's sleeve: mainly the incorporation of some more Middle Eastern strings, which should come as no real surprise as this kind of sound was somewhat hinted at on previous Wovenhand records.
So just what is The Threshingfloor all about? Well, there's certainly a more straightforward approach this time around in terms of Edwards directly speaking about God (so you black metal fanatics take note!) and on the whole the record is far more 'subdued' than previous albums. There are a few jumpers (namely the eighth track "Truth" which has an almost electronic, Nine Inch Nailsish beat to it). More typical fare on this album is closer to the song "Singing Grass", which makes absolutely gorgeous use of acoustic guitars, violin, and some minor sound effects/field recordings (?) of what sounds like, you guessed it, wind rustling through grass.
Basically I'd recommend this record to any fans of the band as well as anyone who's got a bit of an open mind when it comes to listening to music outside of your comfort zone. The Threshingfloor combines quite a few different sounds and style of music to create a really enjoyable listening experience. I could definitely see this being on my top ten list at the end of the year. Do yourself a favor: Head to Redscroll Records and snag yourself a copy.
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