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It would be so easy to think Forest Of Shadows is just another band in the nowadays ever growing doom metal scene... However, for a weird reason beyond my comprehension Firebox Records has made it again; definitely these guys know the essence of the business –to sign good bands-, and their taste recruiting new jewels is amongst the best on the face of Earth. In the last times they have split the label in Firebox and Firedoom; it´s pretty clear what we´re going to find in the last of these: doom metal, and I´d say doom metal at its best. One of these fine doom acts is Forest Of Shadows. Their brand of music, if not original, is at least beyond cliches and dead typical patterns. Here we have a band quite competent and brave: a release consisting of five tracks lasting around 61 minutes is bold in these commercial times, to say the least. I must admit I thought they were Finnish and funeral doom, since most of the depressive bands in the Firebox roster are based there and play that sort of music. In fact they are Swedish, or he is Swedish, since we´re talking about a one-man band. Moreover, it´s not exactly funeral nor ultra slow doom what they play, despite in some moments the atmosphere has quite a few things in common with Shape Of Despair and co. I mean, in “Departure” one really can find those solid, funeral march-like, chord sequences with growls conducting the pace.
Anyway, other passages are far away from those moments. Mellower parts with soft voice, emotionally loaded, make this album more varied and those listeners unwilling to check the classic Skepticism stuff could really appreciate this band. The first song is very significant when describing the music of Forest Of Shadows: long songs (yes, for this opening track lasts for 16 minutes...), deeply dour but charming at the same time, providing variation in the right measure. If you remember Katatonia´s “Brave Murder Day” third song, “Day”, with that neo-gothic hazy melancholic feeling, you can make yourself a picture of the starting minutes of “Sleeping Death”, that run in the same vein. Then, the wrath of powerful crushing doom riffs appears, riffs devotees of the most depressive bands on Earth. And the last part of the song is very Katatonia-inspired, taking things from “Brave Murder Day” and “Sounds of Decay” era but also paying attention to the softer period shown in the subsequent albums. The sound in fact reminds heavily to Katatonia, too... Funnily enough, the vocals are as well “more than inspired” by Mikael Åkerfeldt –the growls- and Jonas Renkse –the clean lines-... Definitely, a correct band that, despite its lack of originality, demonstrates good taste creating melodies and songs. Katatonia nostalgic fans who miss their growlings and raw guitars will probably love this one.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Sleeping Death |
| 2. November Dream |
| 3. Bleak Dormition |
| 4. Open Wound |
| 5. Departure |
: 61.07
| Buy other Forest Of Shadows albums |
