Sombres Forêts – Royaume de Glace (2008)

 

A few weeks back we had a review of Gris’s album “Il était une forêt…” and here is one of another Canadian black metal band from the icy Quebec. I’m talking about Sombres Forêts and their 2008 record “Royaume de Glace”. Both bands have similar styles and as Svart said in his review of “Il était une forêt…” the genre can best be described as Depressive Black Metal with acoustic and ambient influences. Sombres Forêts is actually a one man band created by Annatar (as he calls himself) and it is truly amazing to see what a single musician can create if he puts his mind and soul to it. But let me get into the record in a little more detail. The intro song is especially atmospheric and clashes with the first song “The forests”, but in a really effective way. The songs have very moody and depressive parts that interlude with faster, heavier guitar driven riffs and thus form a concept of despair, hatred, and loneliness. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Annatar changes between English and French for the lyrics of the different songs. I would say that one of the best songs in my opinion is “L’oeil Nocturne”. The acoustic intro of the song which is slowly filled with a slow passed background guitar riff really gives you the impression of wandering a dark forest path on a cold winter night. As a final piece the record includes an acoustic instrumental song, which I think is a nice addition to an atmospheric masterpiece.

So if you like Gris, Burzum, Xasthur and the likes then pour yourself a nice glass of absinth put on this record and let the melancholic atmosphere wash over you.

Official Page

9/10

cnspiracy

~ by cnspiracy on March 23, 2008.