Hailing from Russia and performing some of the
most beautiful melodies in the metal world, is Forest
Stream. This is their second album, following up Tears of Mortal Solitude
from 6 years ago in which had sparkling reviews. The Crown of Winter follows
suit nicely. Still crafting a gentle, dreamy atmosphere while somehow surfacing
several metal styles; both aggressive and not so much. This album sort of
reminded me of a lot of my favorite artists both past and present. Hints
of Opeth, Novembers Doom, Katatonia, Anathema, some of the most atmospheric
Doom bands you can think of (like Shape of Despair or older Empyrium) and
even Emperor in parts!! The Crown of Winter is an extremely dynamic, majestic,
heavy, epic sounding release that will not soon be forgotten if examined.
It is a lot to take in with every listen. There are 6 lengthy tracks with
a very melancholic beginning and closing (so… 8 tracks total). The
guitars create a wall of melancholy all in themselves, but the keys are
the most compelling piece holding the entire mold together. Believe it or
not, the percussion is quite an accessory as well (both bass and drums)
– sort of uncommon with dark metal bands for some reason or another.
The vocals shift quite harmoniously between clean gothic style, grunting
death vocals and black metal shrieking. The production was mightily handled
as well, so everything is easily heard. It all comes right back to how beautiful
the atmosphere on the disc is, though. With all of these wonderful references,
Forest Stream seemingly manages to fulfill a plethora of styles! This disc
is not for the casual listener who will just skip through tracks looking
for some sort of catchy rhythm or chorus; this is for the real music lover!!
It's as majestic as the band and the album title portrays.
Rating: 96
Reviewed By: Thomas Mitchell |
