When you follow heavy metal's many twists and turns, its sometimes easy to forget that the wellspring of its purest form was fed by the likes of Maiden, Saxon, Priest, and Dio, each of whom helped launch what has flowed from it since. Lest we forget these traditional sounds still exist today, Dark Forest from the West Midlands of England are there to remind us that not only do they still exist, but they can still sound fresh and incredibly satisfying.
Formed in 2002, Dark Forest have released only a couple of full lengths and a few E.P.'s since their inception. In just a few short weeks, though, their third full-length The Awakening will be released on the excellent Cruz Del Sur records. Anyone with a vested interest in traditional metal will do well to pay attention.
Some people will read these words and think, "oh lovely here comes another retro act". Dark Forest do not claim to be trailblazing with their brand of rousing epic metal anthems. And though the path they tread has been beaten smooth by the boot heels of their predecessors, it does not make the journey any less interesting.
The Awakening opens with its title track, a Percy Shelley verse setting the table for a song steeped in melody and some refreshingly worthy guitar leads. New vocalist Josh Winnard's powerful voice rides the melodies with both authority and restraint, being a part of rather than dominating the music behind it.
The path winds on and we are led to realms of fantasy, as the well-constructed twin guitar leads and double-bass drumming of "Sacred Signs" recalls the adventurous rollicking of mid-eighties Iron Maiden. The chorus is catchy as an outbreak of SARS on a crowded airplane, while the leads are simply breathtaking. Warning: get new strings for your air guitars; you're going to need them. The leads on "Penda's Fen" are mesmerizing. Its like the guitar playing duo of Christian Horton and Pat Jenkins were born playing this music.
We wind on further down the road, comfortable in the surroundings of the familiar, until we are roused once again by the incredibly epic "Turning of the Tides." Winnard's vocals are lower and a bit subdued on this one, which is fitting as the slower verses fit smoothly in between some sped up leads. The bass guitar of Paul Thompson follows the guitars adding a decidedly Steve Harris-style precision to the overall sound. The awesome riffing around the 3:50 mark builds tension until a true metal scream at pants-splitting register launches a slew of delicious solos with that sick bass-sound just underneath the mix. Its truly one of those moments when you remember why you got into this music in the first place.
Album highlight "Rise Like Lions" apes the Shelley verse with its bombastic title. A faster pace to this one, reminiscent of classic Helloween and Gamma Ray. Winnard's voice remains at a good pitch though, keeping south of the highs of a Michael Kiske or a Kai Hansen. "Immortal Remains" and "Secret Commonwealth" are not nearly as gripping as some of the other songs on offer.
All the right boxes are ticked and Dark Forest's superb musicianship saves them from the dreaded "filler" tag, but they fail to entirely live up to some of the more stirring songs before them. That being said, the melodies in the solos are all excellent. All of them. "The Last Season" begins with a total Iron Maiden sound, but the boys keep it from anything close to a rip-off. More like the familiar voice of an old friend, the song is so enjoyable one finds it inconsequential that one may have heard the style many times before.
Even if a few of the songs in the middle don't quite reach that level of excellence, The Awakening ends on an extremely high note. Dark Forest convey a high degree of pride in their ancient, storied English homeland. "Sons of England" packs that feeling into 7:49 of sword-in-the-air majesty. Its proud verses give way to a chorus steeped in gallantry and might, so convincing that any thoughts of cheesiness fade beneath the weight of the honesty these men possess.
Dark Forest fly the flag of pure heavy metal. They are a physical manifestation of sitting in your room as a kid and blasting Iron Maiden, but with such a high degree of musicianship and songwriting acumen that calling them simply "retro" would be grossly unfair. With a new lineup, a good label, and the promise of stability, the future looks very bright for these Midlanders.
It is pretty amazing that they managed to slip through the cracks of many a bigger label, as most power metal out there tries so hard but often fails to achieve even half the sheer power and skill Dark Forest bring to the table. Apart from a few pedestrian efforts, The Awakening has several excellent songs to set proudly beside the vast heritage of power metal greats we have been so lucky to call our own. If you love metal's glory days and want to see them injected with new life, do not miss out on this album.
7.5/10
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