the heavy metal of Dark Forest (U.K.): The Awakening (Cruz del Sur Music)

Dark Forest (U.K.): The Awakening (Cruz del Sur Music)

When a traditional heavy metal band has put as much effort into making a quality album as Dark Forest has done with “The Awakening,” as much work into achieving a harmony between the guitar melodies and the vocal lines, it seems only fair that more followers of the genre hear it.

Dark Forest is traditional-melodic heavy metal from the U.K. They have three EPs and three albums, taking into account this 2014 album. The band started around 2002 and the first demo is from 2004.

Their music reveals that these veterans are confident to open the album with the midpaced title track that highlights melodies, instead of speed. Dark Forest plays fast in some places, as when they approach near-thrash speeds in certain spots on the album. Overall, however, while certainly often uptempo, the band stays on a pace that the listener can understand with one listen. Dark Forest is going for all the marbles; they don’t want you to have to listen 27 times in order to get with their program. You want heavy metal, you’ve got it.

The magic of Dark Forest is no secret at all: hard work, more hard work and experience. Listening to the album, it seems like the band has spent lots of time thinking about how to construct the songs, how to layer melodies and harmonies that the discerning listener will detect and appreciate. In fact, Dark Forest emphasizes guitar work as much as the vocal lines, a singing style that prefers ear-friendly melody over glass-shattering high yelling. The voice is a softer style that can appeal to more people than just heavy metal fanatics. In addition, the bass work is audible because, as you can imagine, for a band that is proud of its metal heritage, Steve Harris is going to be present in some way. Go ahead and listen to Dark Forest, and tell them that Metal Bulletin Zine sent you.

www.facebook.com/Darkforestuk

www.cruzdelsurmusic.com

Dark Forest - The Awakening