First Utterance
by Comus

An interesting album that keeps the music fresh from song to song by slightly altering their style so that we have a lot to explore. The themes on this record are dark and unsettling making for an uneasy but intriguing experience. Lyrically, it is very strong and looking into the words really makes your listen even more unsettling as you see what they are singing about. This tension is then built upon by a clever use of instruments that create a dark atmosphere. Two example of this are the use of the flute and violin which are two very beautiful and delicate sounding instruments but they manipulate them and surround them with harsh tones to make them sound ominous and creepy. Both the violin and flute are displayed at their best on the track Song To Comus where they really shine. We are also treated to a fantastic assortment of guitars which make up the bulk of the sound and they really dominate the music. However, some songs do feel unnecessarily elongated and the record could do with a bit of trimming down in my opinion. Overall, a fantastic prog folk album that is extremely unique and well worth a listen if you enjoy dark experiences.

Quirky pastoral spooky music. Great sound, some lovely moments.

A unique experience. Everyone should give this a try.

From teague 07/21/2020 21:19 | #255956

Offbeat and dense. Lovely arrangements and performances. It is a bit long winded and self important at times, but overall a pretty fantastic listen.

One of the best progressive rock albums and one of the best folk albums of all time. And a personal favorite of mine, complex instrumentation with every song offering something new to contributes to the album experience. This album needs to be ranked higher overall it is an absolute masterpiece.

I confess that I've listened to First Utterance all the way through only once, but for the last month I've been completely and utterly obsessed with track 2 - The Herald. The song became one of my favorites in any genre. If fairies, pixies, or muses existed, this is what they must sound like. Bobbie Watson creates ethereal harmonies and when the chorus breaks out, it's peak psilocybin experience. I've just returned from the Boaty Weekender festival and had been talking about and playing the song to anyone who would listen, including band members who have not heard of it, and shall remain nameless.

When people ask me what the darkest album I've heard is, this is the one that jumps to answer. Listening to this album is like stumbling through some neglected ancient woodlands to come across an evil and archaic pagan ritual. The lead singer sounds demented, the instrumentation and arrangements angular and jarring, made all the creepier by the innocent female vocals. Truly unique - investigate if you're feeling brave.

From SquishypuffDave 11/15/2012 06:11 | #55048

Folk music possessed with the evil spirit of metal and with the demented ambition of prog, running through the misty forest with blood dripping down its face.

From Applerill 12/30/2011 14:42 | #34004

I dunno. The way I like to think of it is that, little more than a year after it's original release, these guys decided to remake Black Sabbath's absolutely-perfect debut out of folk instruments. But that was not a silly decision by any means- in the process, it created one of the greatest albums of the seventies, especially on side 2.

This album could be described as folk. But the folk in it isn't the relaxed gentile songs that most people would associate with the genre. It has a pagan feel to it. It feels like it should be played in a dark ancient woodland around a fire by a band all more animal then human. The whole album is like a pulsing living organic monstrosity. It is tribal in feeling, with a blend of flute, violin, hand drums, acoustic guitars, female and male vocals and mix of other instruments.