Trail Of The Unwary

Avantgarde Music is pleased to present the third installment in the complete reissue of Nest discography. The Finnish neofolk band Released Trail Of The Unwary in 2007 on CD only, and the album has long since been out of print. Nineteen years later, in addition to a brand new CD edition, Trail Of The Unwary will be available on double vinyl for the very first time. Included in both versions of the album will also be “Last Vestige Of Old Joy” was Nest’s contribution to the cult 2004 collaboration EP with Agalloch. “Haunted Birds”, the reinterpretation of Agalloch’s classic, will find its place on the vinyl version only. Trail Of The Unwary will be out in March via Avantgarde Music, and here follows a foreword by Nest mastermind, Aslak Tolonen himself. Trail of the Unwary is significant step in the evolution of Nest's music. The compositions are more ambitious, the arrangements are more complex, and the themes are more thought-provoking than ever before. It is a much more ambient release with emphasis on atmosphere and evolving soundscapes. The kantele (a traditional Finnish lap harp) still brings the familiar Nest melodies - with some of the most intricate lines Nest has ever written - but the synth work especially has been upgraded to a new level. All the synth sounds have been programmed by A.T. as he challenged himself to craft the whole aural landscape himself. A Laplandish Shaman Drum provides the percussion - a drum that A.T. himself made. And to top it off, this release sees the first use of kanteles A.T. has made himself. The whole musical work is as complete a self-made creation as A.T. was able to pull off. It contains epic songs dealing with the nature of the hunt, the true names of the bear in Finnish mythology, returning to a place of that is not what one remembers, and the peculiar show of prismatic light conjured up by the sun of the night. It features guest vocals by the likes of John Haughm (Agalloch), Laurie Ann Haus (Todesbonden), Pekka Aho (Talvi, Nostatus), and plenty of little secrets to be found by the astute listener. For this reissue, the whole soundscape was refined with great care. The kantele sounds more crystalline, and all the other instrument sounds have been meticulously enhanced. The overall mix has been reworked to be more dynamic, more spacious, and new aural dimensions have been brought to life. This is no simple remaster, nor a rushed re-recording. I hope you enjoy this new gold standard of a version as much as I do. - A.T. / Nest