I’m not sure Portland, Oregon, where Forsaken Entity come from, experiences ice but it’s clear from all directions that this album sets out to be a grandiose affair, and kingdoms of ice fit that narrative. Symphonic black metal calls up bands like Dimmu Borgir and Vesperian Sorrow, and that’s what we have here and more on the band’s first full album, following an EP from 2015 and a couple of singles.

One of those singles “Skywards” opens up this album. Thunderous drums, searing keyboards, growls and a voice which could cut through ice are the ingredients. Fast and hard, it makes you sit up as we are subjected to this extreme heavy turbulence. The song ends with a flamboyant guitar-keyboard solo. I couldn’t imagine there was going to be much change to the intensity, and this is the case. “A Dark Divinity” continues the technical assault. Forsaken Eternity cannot be accused of holding back or hanging around. The problem I was having however was distinguishing between these tracks, which amount to an extreme black-power-symphonic metal attack. They do like their guitar solos too. The one in “Shadow Fortress” is a little more soulful, but generally speaking this is music without compromise. “Endless Light” takes us briefly into a cold and spooky corridor, but it’s all too brief as there’s a whirlwind to be created, and that seems to be Forsaken Eternity’s main aim.

It’s hard not to be reminded of the Finnish melodic death brigade and the likes of Children of Bodom when listening to this. The fast pace and the aggression come to the fore again on “Forsaken Eternity”, and again at the start of the instrumental interlude “Sonata Concertata in cm” which follows. You have to be prepared to take your fill of bombast too. After a pomp-laden start, sparks fly once more on the now familiar-sounding title song. There are certain “givens” on these songs: the spoken word is used a number of times and there’s always a slot for a guitar solo followed by a keyboard solo before we get back to the urgent power frolics.

Without question this album has a certain ambiance. Furious grandiosity is at the centre, enhanced by the symphonic sound and the solos and the swirling winds which fall out of it. I’m glad that Forsaken Eternity don’t try to mix styles because that would be incongruous, but even so I did find “Kingdom of Ice” a bit one-dimensional but at least with the compensation that the band whip up a great deal of energy throughout.

(6.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://www.facebook.com/forsakeneternityband

https://rottweilerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-kingdom-of-ice