Exclusive: White Willow’s In Dim Days Song Premiere

Jonathan Barkan   |  

Mar 16, 2017

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If you followed my musical tastes over at Bloody-Disgusting, you probably know that one of my favorite albums this decade is Norwegian prog rock band White Willow’s 2011 release Terminal Twilight. While not overtly horror, there many nods to the music of Goblin, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, and other genre composers, not to mention dozens of prog rock bands; it is a stunningly beautiful and hypnotic album that I return to at least once or twice a month. It’s one of those albums where you hit “Play” on Track 1 and then just let the entire thing play out from beginning to end so that you can appreciate every glorious moment.

Back in the fall of 2016, the band announced that they would be releasing a new album titled Future Hopes, which will be coming out on March 31st. Of course, my excitement reached near stratospheric levels, and I’ve been waiting ever since to hear the album. Today I get to share my anticipation with all of you in the form of an exclusive premiere of the album’s third track, “In Dim Days.”

Frontman Jacob Holm-Lupo describes “In Dim Days” as well as its influences:  “‘In Dim Days’ is a song that takes lyrical inspiration from future city fantasies like Samuel R. Delany’s novel Dhalgren and movies like Escape from New York and Blade Runner. The CS80 synth, so central to the Blade Runner soundtrack, introduces the song. But then it takes a left turn into much proggier territory. I tried to trip up our drummer with the weird time signatures, but he’s un-up-trippable, unfortunately. The highlight of the song for me is Hedvig Mollestad’s amazing guitar playing – it was all improvised on the spot, and she nailed it.”

Breaking the 11-minute barrier, “In Dim Days” is a swirling and fascinating piece that showcases everything White Willow has to offer. There are mysterious and almost eerie moments that are followed by passages of almost heartbreaking beauty. New singer Venke Knutson’s vocals hover almost angelically over the music while Hedvig Mollestad’s guitar solos cut through the time signature changes without stumbling once. It’s a magnificent representation of what you can expect from Future Hopes, and I hope (no pun intended) that you enjoy it as much as I do!

Also, make sure to check out the album artwork below. It was done by Roger Dean, whom you may recognize as having done covers for Yes, Asia, Uriah Heep, Rick Wakeman, and more.

You can pre-order Future Hopes via Amazon, standard digital, or hi-res digital.

In dim days
When light is occluded
Through dark poison veils
We move

Endless nights
Ordeals of danger
Evading the eyes
By stealth

Slingblade streets
And dens of seduction
In violence and vice
Enshrined

Nothing matters in these dim days
Hope that shatters, shipwrecked at sea
Sorrow gathers in these dark years
Still we cling to the mast, you and me

Nothing matters in these dead years
It gets harder to even care
But in dreams I’m still reminded
I remember the world as it was

I remember the sun
I remember the beautiful moon
And the smile on your face
As we ran through the late afternoon

Now the sun is a ghost
And all shattered, the terrible moon
There is fear in your eyes
As we run from the watchers’ platoon

In dead lands
Our bravery falters
There’s frost in our bones
And souls

Hollow lands
Where everything withers
Dry winds grind all life
To dust

Nothing matters in these dead years
It gets harder to even care
But in dreams I am still reminded
I remember the world as it was

White Willow online:
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