Released in 2014 via Artemisia Records, Celestite is a striking departure for Wolves in the Throne Room, serving as a companion piece to their 2011 album Celestial Lineage. Where its predecessor channeled black metal through natural and spiritual intensity, Celestite abandons distortion and aggression entirely, exploring instead the meditative and cosmic dimensions of their sound through ambient and electronic composition.
The album opens with Turning Ever Towards the Sun, a slow, glacial movement of synthesizers and brass that immediately establishes the record’s ethereal tone. Gone are the blast beats and tremolo guitars replaced by layered analog synths, drones, and gentle horns that evoke vast, interstellar landscapes. Wolves in the Throne Room expand their sonic vocabulary here, drawing inspiration from early ambient pioneers like Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno, while retaining their signature sense of awe and transcendence.
Tracks such as Initiation at Neudeg Alm and Celestite Mirror highlight the band’s mastery of atmosphere and dynamic evolution. The music unfolds patiently, balancing dense waves of sound with moments of near-silence. Rather than focusing on linear progression, the album emphasizes immersion drawing the listener into a state of quiet contemplation. The absence of vocals allows the textures themselves to speak, revealing new emotional dimensions within the band’s universe.
The production is lush and expansive, recorded at Owl Lodge Studios and mixed to accentuate depth and resonance. Every tone feels deliberate and organic, reinforcing the album’s sense of ritual and inner exploration. Celestite transforms the raw energy of Wolves in the Throne Room’s earlier work into a soundscape that feels weightless, sacred, and infinite.
Celestite is not a metal album it is an ambient journey, a reflection of the cosmic and spiritual themes that have always pulsed beneath Wolves in the Throne Room’s music. It asks for patience and stillness, rewarding listeners with moments of profound calm and beauty.
