The Mantle

Cinema "really emerged as a reference point for how we arranged out music [on The Mantle]," said guitarist Don Anderson. He suggested that the band was "thinking in images and how sound might express those images".[4] Taking a more mellow tone than Agalloch's first full-length, Pale Folklore, The Mantle still contains heavy electric guitar riffs as well as acoustic guitar portions.[5] Anderson pointed to the influence of neofolk music, particularly Death in June, as the impetus for using a strummed acoustic guitar in a darker musical context.[4] Present as well are long and melancholic double bass sequences, such as on the track "I Am the Wooden Doors". A critical influence upon Agalloch during this time period was Godspeed You! Black Emperor, with Anderson remarking:

Godspeed, in particular, was the major influence. Their approach to the guitar seemed aligned with black metal. The guitar was no longer a purely riff-based instrument, but provided an ambiguous atmosphere through tremolo-picking either large chords or single melodic lines.[4]

On March 28, 2005, Profound Lore Records released a double LP version of The Mantle on grey-colored vinyl. Limited to 500 copies, it also featured exclusive cover artwork.

All lyrics written by John Haughm, except track 8 which contained an excerpt from Cherokee folk tale "Earth Making".[6]

• John Haughm – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, drums, percussion, EBow, woodchimes, samples, production, booklet photography and layout
• Don Anderson – acoustic, classical and electric guitars, piano
• Jason William Walton – bass guitar, noisescape on track 3
• Ronn Chick – synths, samples, bells on track 8, mandolin on track 9, production
• Ty Brubaker – contrabass on track 5, 8 and 9, accordion on track 9
• Danielle Norton – trombone on track 7 and 8
• Aaron Sholes – sample on track 4, hand-made grim cymbal bell used on track 2, art direction, pre-production
• Neta Smolack – sample on track 4