Dark Forest is a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 2002 by guitarist Christian Horton. The band have released five albums to date – ‘Dark Forest’ (2009), ‘Dawn Of Infinity’ (2011), ‘The Awakening’ (2014), ‘Beyond The Veil’ (2016), and ‘Oak, Ash & Thorn’ (2020). Celebrating the band’s twentieth anniversary, Dark Forest has released the five-song E.P. ‘Ridge & Furrow’, featuring four new songs, and a re-recorded classic from their 2011 album ‘Dawn Of Infinity’.
The band’s brand of light and breezy traditional heavy metal is in full swing on the new release, with feet firmly planted on the monitors and fists raised high in the air. Smiles are gonna be a mile wide as ‘Skylark’ gets the E.P. underway in a blaze of red hot galloping heavy metal – the classic sound of traditional metal filling the air. ‘Skylark’ is an immediate foot tapper, and will have listeners rocking their heads back and forth in appreciation of one hell of an opening tune!
The energy and passion of the opening salvo were truly incredible, ‘The Golden Acre’ making a more sedate and mellow entrance – adopting a weighty mid-tempo foot stomp as it gets going proper. Dark Forest may have the ambience of folk, or a Celtic metal band, but at heart, they are a traditional metal outfit. It’s just that their brand of metal is (and I said it earlier) light and breezy – as opposed to heavy and thundery. Nowt wrong with that…I love it! The title song ‘Ridge & Furrow’ has an exquisite guitar-led intro, giving it a more dynamic feel than either of the two previous songs. Anthemic in nature, ‘Ridge & Furrow’ (the song) takes a majestic stroll across the land, standing tall and very proud.
At just over two minutes in length, ‘Meadowland’ is the shortest song on offer, and is instrumental to soothe all your worries away. Light and airy, ‘Meadowland’ is the kinda tune you’d listen to when you wanna relax. As opposed to the fifth and final song, a re-recorded version of ‘Under The Greenwood Tree’ – first appearing on the band’s 2011 album ‘Dawn Of Infinity’ – recorded by the current line-up, with only guitarist Christian Horton and drummer Adam Sidaway appearing on both versions. Up tempo and full of energy, ‘Under The Greenwood Tree’ is a galloping slice of “foot on the monitor” heavy metal to get heads banging hard.
Overall, an infectious five-song feast of traditional heavy metal, light and breezy and ever so catchy.
TRACKLIST
Skylark
The Golden Acre
Ridge & Furrow
Meadowland
Under The Greenwood Tree
Dark Forest: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Category: EP
Country: UK
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
