Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels - Split CD, Review by LoC

Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels - Split CD 

Label:Lundr Records

Release Date:  February 2009

Review by LoC

Panopticon and Wheels Within Wheels are two bands that you are likely to have never heard of before, but these two bands are among the best upcoming bands in todays Metal scene, or anywhere else for that matter.While this is the first official release by Wheels Within Wheels as far as I know, Panopticon had one full album that was released last year, but it looks to be already sold out unfortunately. Anyway, let's move on to the review!


The CD arrived in my mail this afternoon, and as I write this review, I am only on my second listen through, but I will do my best to give a coherant description 

This split record has 2 songs contributed by each band, but don't let the tracklisting fool you, as there is plenty to hold your attention through the splits duration.

Panopticon is a band that defies descriptions, although there are many Black Metal elements(more prevalent on the ghosts of haymarket square) , there is also some Folk and even a little bit of Bluegrass style Banjo playing featured in their first song of the split '...Speaking...(collapsed version)', but any description I can give to their style won't be giving it proper justice. Wheels Within Wheels have a somewhat different style, but with enough common ground between the 2 artists to make the CD flow together perfectly.

Wheels Within Wheels style is like a cross between Folk Black Metal, Post-Rock, and Ambient, but you would have to listen on your own, and you tell me what it sounds like. Where Panopticon features some vocals, Wheels Within Wheels features none, outside of some television or talk radio soundbites featured on their second song 'What light Reigns Down On...', but this CD truly contains some of the best music that I have heard in a long time, and I think it should appeal to both Black Metal fans, along with people who like artists such as The Angelic Procress, The Swans, and some Post-Rock such as Godspeed! You Black Emperor. 

No review of this album would be complete without making mention of the beautiful and unique packaging that it comes in, and each copy is numbered from 1 to 100, and even comes with a cool patch, all for a pretty low cost , or at least that's what I paid for my copy.