Review Summary: Humor meets black metal as Neige and boys concoct a raw black metal album with terrible production values and political debates featuring religious extremists bickering like catholic school girls.
At first glance of the name Forgotten Woods you can probably tell that this is going to be a black metal review. The next thing you notice if not first is the horribly tacky yet humorous album art featuring a woman in a hooded Satan costume. A sense of humor in black metal is always appreciated especially if the artist backs up the talk with a moderately interesting display of music. And that is what we have here with the Norwegian based black metal group Forgotten Woods. Although the project was formed in Norway, the sole contributor to this project is currently run by a Frenchman that at least some of us should already be familiar with. Neige, famous for his work in Alcest and Peste Noire is in company of a few names that I couldn’t even spell or pronounce if I drank seven red bulls and a pitcher of sugar. But according to wikipedia, the only remaining member is Neige so I hesitate to throw out my playing card just yet.
“Race of Cain” is the bands latest album and a throwback to the likes of old Darkthrone and company. By throwback to Darkthrone I mean that Forgotten Woods have stepped up to the plate boldly and proudly with terrible production values. The fuzzy, droning atmosphere that most metalheads like to associate true black metal with? Check. Extremely harsh vocals layered in distortion so thick you can’t understand a word that is being said? A questionable ideology that seems to lean more on the campy side rather than full blown kvltness? Check. Post punk? Possibly. A random yet always welcome melodic shoegazey track with female vocals and foreign instrumentation? Check. If you’re still on board so far, great.
I don’t know how much seriousness was portrayed during the making of this album but what I do feed off from here is a rather enjoyable black metal album untarnished by the production values. Riffs are very catchy, at times melodic and approachable, and other times fierce recalling the second wave black metal spirit. Standard black metal fare on the musicianship scale, groovy and not much technicality or blazing solos wilding out but capable of inciting a bunch of corpse painted dudes to huddle around s crisp roaring fire for egg nog and cookies nonetheless. Vocals are completely unintelligible whether it’s strange demonic gurgling or even some clean singing thrown in for good measure. I’m not sure what to make of them but they sure are brutal. One of the albums more interesting moments shines through on the neo-folk-esque track “The Principle Of The Whip,” which sports a pleasant sounding female vocalist countering some mellow instrumentation. Drumming and bass are pretty accurate in replicating the chosen formula. Not much bass tone, and not much happening the drum kit.
Judging from some of the name titles one would expect to find Forgotten Woods to hold very unpopular beliefs And while they may or may not actually believe in what they are preaching, humor prevails. Closing out the album is “Third Eye” which starts off as a rather ordinary and standard track but just a few minuets in and the song morphs into a political debate with two religious nut cases bickering like old wives. Blood spilled, shredded by a den of lions, Christ less eternity, and the war on drugs are just some of the topics touched during this two sided tirade. Overall, Race Of Cain is a fun album for those of you that want want to hear some imaginative black metal with a tall, side order of humor. Standouts are few and in between but I would like to point out for you guys to check out the closing track as it gives a perfect glimpse into the humorous side of the band as well as the brutality. At first glance of the name Forgotten Woods you can probably tell that this is going to be a black metal review. The next thing you notice if not first is the horribly tacky yet humorous album art featuring a woman in a hooded Satan costume. A sense of humor in black metal is always appreciated especially if the artist backs up the talk with a moderately interesting display of music. And that is what we have here with the Norwegian based black metal group Forgotten Woods. Although the project was formed in Norway, the sole contributor to this project is currently run by a Frenchman that at least some of us should already be familiar with. Neige, famous for his work in Alcest and Peste Noire is in company of a few names that I couldn’t even spell or pronounce if I drank seven red bulls and a pitcher of sugar. But according to wikipedia, the only remaining member is Neige so I hesitate to throw out my playing card just yet.
“Race of Cain” is the bands latest album and a throwback to the likes of old Darkthrone and company. By throwback to Darkthrone I mean that Forgotten Woods have stepped up to the plate boldly and proudly with terrible production values. The fuzzy, droning atmosphere that most metalheads like to associate true black metal with? Check. Extremely harsh vocals layered in distortion so thick you can’t understand a word that is being said? A questionable ideology that seems to lean more on the campy side rather than full blown kvltness? Check. Post punk? Possibly. A random yet always welcome melodic shoegazey track with female vocals and foreign instrumentation? Check. If you’re still on board so far, great.
I don’t know how much seriousness was portrayed during the making of this album but what I do feed off from here is a rather enjoyable black metal album untarnished by the production values. Riffs are very catchy, at times melodic and approachable, and other times fierce recalling the second wave black metal spirit. Standard black metal fare on the musicianship scale, groovy and not much technicality or blazing solos wilding out but capable of inciting a bunch of corpse painted dudes to huddle around s crisp roaring fire for egg nog and cookies nonetheless. Vocals are completely unintelligible whether it’s strange demonic gurgling or even some clean singing thrown in for good measure. I’m not sure what to make of them but they sure are brutal. One of the albums more interesting moments shines through on the neo-folk-esque track “The Principle Of The Whip,” which sports a pleasant sounding female vocalist countering some mellow instrumentation. Drumming and bass are pretty accurate in replicating the chosen formula. Not much bass tone, and not much happening the drum kit.
Judging from some of the name titles one would expect to find Forgotten Woods to hold very unpopular beliefs And while they may or may not actually believe in what they are preaching, humor prevails. Closing out the album is “Third Eye” which starts off as a rather ordinary and standard track but just a few minuets in and the song morphs into a political debate with two religious nut cases bickering like old wives. Blood spilled, shredded by a den of lions, Christ less eternity, and the war on drugs are just some of the topics touched during this two sided tirade. Race Of Cain is an album that should appeal to black metal fans that love black metal as much as mocking it. The Principle and the Whip and A Landmine Reprisal are also cool beans.
