The leading sons of the Black Country return with perhaps their greatest album to date. Long have I been an admirer of this band as some of you know, but truly, ‘Beyond the Veil’ takes UK metal to the next level. In a sub-genre obsessed with trying to be “old school”, Dark Forest never really did that, they carved their own path and with this album they have found their home. Triumphant song arrangements go hand in hand with great vocals, twin guitars and plenty of melodies thrown into the mix. Did I mention the twin guitar attack? I thought so, but it’s worth pointing out again!
The standard is high, when you get heads down with ‘Where the Arrow Falls’ you are in a special place. Dark Forest concentrate lyrically on folklore and authentic traditional subject matters adding a medieval sound in the acoustic passages and some of the rampant guitar riffs. ‘Blackthorn’ hits a special spot, the emotion and atmosphere here is magical. That acoustic ambience is present more so in ‘Mên-An-Tol’ (I believe referring to a small formation of stones located in Cornwall, South West England). This transcends you to the mystique of the area and its surroundings, the music encapsulates the natural environment and it’s a clear way of doing things.
This is the second outing for vocalist Josh Winnard (ex-Wytch Hazel, ex-Seven Sisters) and I have to say, Josh has become one of the best UK vocalists I have ever heard. When you match the quality of the exquisite arrangements with the amount of depth he has, the results are outstanding. Not only in the higher register, that’s quite common, but the control and strength in the lower register really commands acknowledgement, especially on ‘Earthbound’. You can’t fail to re-spin this album time after time and believe me, there are no fillers here. Every single track has its own positive merits.
As I said earlier, this is their album, Dark Forest have found their niche, they have developed and produced one of the most outstanding releases I have heard this year. It’s pretty obvious you should buy this really! If you want a band and album with staying power, maturity and heritage, then ‘Beyond the Veil’ is essential. I do also believe that this is the first ever release I have given full marks for as well! This is special…
(10/10 Paul Maddison)
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