Thinking about it, the American frontier is perfect for black metal bands across the Atlantic Ocean. For all the bands from America who choose Scandinavian words as monikers, write about snowy mountains and Vikings, and give themselves frosty aliases, there's a wealth of violent history and folklore to draw from in their own backyard. It's a time and place which has been romanticised and talked about in books, movies, and video games, capturing the imagination of a large part of the world's media audiences. It's fitting then that the world has Wayfarer, who takes the old sounds and stories of the old west and transports them to extreme music.

"American Gothic" is the band's fifth studio album and lives up to its name, incorporating not only the aforementioned inspiration but also the tones of such bands as Paradise Lost, Primordial, and Wolves In The Throne Room to create something dark but undeniably American. The guitars in particular do a brilliant job of setting the scene for the listener, ringing out the sounds of a troubled yet exciting land from the get-go with "The Thousand Tombs Of Western Promise." The instrument continues to shine on "Reaper On The Oilfields," which brings in a more doom metal element, and especially "A High Plains Eulogy," which is drenched in a lush, daresay beautiful pain that remains a theme of the record.

Meanwhile, the black metal influences are heard more prominently on such songs as "Black Fumes Over God's Country," which matches the speed of the train hurtling through the plains, while also adding the inner cries of a lonely soul in the more mellow segments. "The Cattle Thief" is also as black metal as the album gets, but rather than go all out for nine minutes, the song gradually builds to it, first by introducing the audience to a wonderfully bouncy intro, then adding more hints of Gothic and doom metal before finally becoming more of a sonic assault. Elsewhere, "To Enter My House Justified" carries a strong black metal vibe.

However, there's a common problem on this record, one which, fittingly, could be said of old Westerns, which is that a lot of the songs tend to go on too long. A number of times, it felt like a song could have ended earlier, or preferably, add something extra. Too often, it felt like tracks were repeating themselves, stuck or meandering, lingering on the same riff or melodic pattern. It's a trait that started killing the enjoyment of several songs, such as the closing number, "False Constellation," or the previously mentioned "Reaper On The Oilfields," which starts off as a highly enjoyable piece, but by the end feels like a waste of potential.

Taken as a whole, "American Gothic" is a decent record. It's got a great sound and lots of room to explore, but feels a little complacent in its style at times, refusing to grow even within its comfort zone. There are superb melodies that make the album very appealing and an atmosphere that few bands could replicate, or even come close to. It's well worth a listen, at least once, especially for American metal fans who would like their own history brought to life through a medium that they've enjoyed for so long, while listeners outside the country will find plenty to enjoy too.