Photo by Jonathan Lorange
Canadian chamber folk trio MUSK OX today unveils their new video for “Weightless.” Now playing at Everything Is Noise, the moving track comes off the band’s critically adored Inheritance full-length released in July.
Containing some of the group’s most ambitious as well as intimate material, Inheritance is a cathartic collection where wordless hymns of worry and wonder form the stirring soundtrack to an uncertain age of reckoning, reflection, and resilience.
Notes guitarist Nathanael Larochette, “‘Weightless’ is the closing song from our third full-length record Inheritance. While preparing the material for the album, ‘Weightless’ seemed to demand less attention than some of the more complex and expansive compositions so we hardly expected that it would become one of our favorite pieces from Inheritance. It wasn’t until the mixing process that we realized just how special this song had become and how beautifully it worked as the album’s final scene. While the first single ‘Memoriam’ had a dark, somber tone demanding a stark video, we knew that ‘Weightless’ would work perfectly as its more soaring, optimistic counterpart. Opening with a fluid, melodic rhythm from the classical guitar, the cello and violin soon emerge to paint the sky with some of the most affecting melodies MUSK OX has ever recorded. Following a burst of determined, empowered heaviness, ‘Weightless’ eventually drifts into the vast unknown in much the same way that the album appears, like vapor from the soil beneath our feet.”
Adds Everything Is Noise, “What stands out about this track when compared to the other songs on this album is how it appears to divert somewhat from the otherwise solemn and tense atmospheres of the previous tracks in favor of a more gentile and buoyant sound. The classical guitar passages sweep in, providing some warmth whilst the violin and cello accompaniment encapsulates a hospitable sensation that puts the listener in a sense of comfort and ease as they are lifted into a dream-like realm of atmospheric wholeness. The accompanying video contributes to this idyllic feeling, encompassing a secluded, yet sincere impression that allows one to gather more intimacy with the artist.
View MUSK OX’s “Weightless” video at THIS LOCATION.
View the band’s previously released video for “Memoriam” HERE.
Inheritance is out now on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find ordering options at THIS LOCATION where the record can be streamed in full.
Inheritance comes seven years since MUSK OX‘s acclaimed Woodfall full-length. Despite the long wait between albums however, the musicians within MUSK OX have remained prolific. Since 2014, MUSK OX classical guitarist Nathanael Larochette released a solo double album, a collaboration with poet Conyer Clayton, and two acclaimed full-lengths with the instrumental chamber metal quartet The Night Watch, of which MUSK OX violinist Evan Runge is also a member, while cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne’s staggering output saw the debut release of the haunting cello/voice project The Visit, three improvised world music albums with the duo Kamancello, a stunning solo album and two full-length records with Norwegian prog masters Leprous as well as continuous appearances as a session musician.
“…a purgative monolith which speaks volumes – ineffable, anthemic volumes. The breadth and nuance of this whole affair is breathtaking to say the least, while the rich, poignant, and full-bodied string of sound which radiates outwards from it is simply awe-inspiring.” – Everything Is Noise
“There’s nothing precisely metal happening on Inheritance, but it’s exactly the kind of instrumental folk/classical music that tends to get open-minded black metal fans excited. MUSK OX have opened for both Agalloch and Wardruna, which should give you a pretty good idea of where to file them. If you love slow-building, atmospheric, nature-evoking black metal, but don’t always actually want to hear the black metal parts, Inheritance is for you.” – Decibel Magazine
“MUSK OX… melds the worlds of extreme metal antics with progressive rock scope and chamber music execution.” – Invisible Oranges
“MUSK OX plays a gorgeous, evocative, contemplative instrumental chamber folk music. Never hurried, Inheritance picks up themes and melodies, explores variations, flows into new ones, and circles around to re-reference them again. At times wistful, at times insistent, the three instruments balance and play off each other, sometimes sharing melodies, sometimes in counterpoint… Beautiful, confident, and rewarding, Inheritance is a quiet triumph.” – Angry Metal Guy
“…a gorgeous dose of instrumental chamber folk…” – BrooklynVegan
“A breathtaking return from Canada’s finest dark folk act that makes one thing especially clear: Woodfall was no fluke. MUSK OX are masters of the craft.” – Sputnik Music
“…a more than worthwhile effort for anyone who wished that their favorite prog-metal group would just break down and play classical music.” – Avant Music News
“…an excellent example of acoustic doom – all of the sorrow, hopelessness, strife, and emotion without the electricity… Slow-paced and mournful, there is meaning here for everyone that will manifest individually as you listen.” – Flying Fiddlesticks
“It’s rare to see a band take it to the next level after 15 years and a whole mess of releases, but MUSK OX have found a way. Inheritance delights with its songs of the soul perpetually delving deeper and bringing listeners into exciting new soundspaces.” – Two Guys Metal Reviews
“It’s strange to hear music that evokes so clearly a specific season to the point where it feels like it actually relies on the turn of nature’s cycles to really come into the focus it needs. That is, in a way, a deeply impressive trick to pull off though, proof that MUSK OX has the ability to communicate something through their work, rather than simply provide a bunch of ambient sounds.” – The Sleeping Shaman
“A wonderfully enigmatic, totally captivating album and one that, for me, works best as a continuous listen.” – The Progressive Aspect
“…one of the most unique and exciting albums so far this year.” – Distorted Sound
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