Label: 20 Buck Spin

We write 1994. The first time we heard this front liner of the second wave of black metal and exponent of the Norwegian scene, was with their As the Wolves Gather album. No matter what somebody tries to say, as a whole this was absolutely the most interesting region in extreme metal ever. What made this band that special was the specific angle, in some way indulged by their impressionability for sixties decadent art-rock. These unlit souls showed us the immediate way to Velvet Underground, for which we will always be them graceful.

Forgotten Woods released three classic avantgarde black metal albums through the German No Colours Records. Later on, under the moniker of Joyless, the band managed to make another classic with the almost fully disregarded Unlimited Hate. The albums that followed marked an era of too obvious adoration of the ones that influenced them. From the very beginning they were limited musicians, which later on showed in too simplistic riffing and off-key singing, almost making us depressive windbags. If there’s one similarity with this new Forgotten Woods album, than it’s: too little bright ideas, too much songs.

Cain killed his brother Abel, after which Yahweh in person excommunicated him. He went to distant lands and founded his own race, which consisted out of creators of art and science. This apology represents what this foursome would probably call a race of life philosophers. We have to admit that Forgotten Woods’ interpretation has dazed us in a way. The spoken interview / performance in Third Eye (New Creature) holds some very strapping ideas. Race of Cain underlines Forgotten Woods’ blunt message of Social Darwinism and biological fascism, with the rejection of democracy and the embrace of the police state as the political ideal. Because of the Nazi-calling Seig Heil No Colours didn’t wanted to release this newborn, which should summon several uhms and aaahs, as they’ve released first communicants like Rob Darken’s Graveland and Veles among others.

We think that the No Colours’ people fainted for the non-accomplished highly set expectations from this band that was dismissed for 12 years. The album seems nothing more than nine intolerant pamphlets in e minor. Race of Abel is a pair of uninteresting minutes of noise based on repetitive vocals with an anti-Judeo-Christian message. One Day has the rhythms of the early albums but is suffering the Lugubrum-sickness: bright ideas, inept musicianship and a bad sound. A Landmine Reprisal and Jedem Das Seine / Erasing the Fuckhead Majority are typical black metal: fast drums, squealing guitars and at times a trashy sound. The distinctive powers, however, have contracted. They played with the least interesting ideas of Darkthrone, Dodheimsgard (Kronet Til Konge era) and Satyricon. Because of their lack of pretension they are about the best of the crop. Intolerance is the Law is typical FW. They caught us almost, but in the end we knew better – the off-key singing helped us a lot. The Principle and the Whip is depressive, melancholic and at times psychedelic pop, mostly connected to the Wisdom & Arrogance-songs. In a bad temper we would call this Cranberries for professionals, but that wouldn’t be polite.

The medallion for the coolest song goes to Nightly Paradise (funny guys), because of the waving solo (have we ever heard that on a FW album?) and it modest catchiness. Third Eye, with the recurrent screaming of Seig Heil, is simply childish. Think about late Carpathian Forest-style. They could’ve used fuck off or Merry Christmas instead.

The most enjoyable on this album is the Jesus, joy of my life-advert with the smiling flower, but we laughed as loud when we read about an SM hospital where you can get your testicles amputated just for fun. So, that’s not really a virtue.

Review by Peter, July 2007 c/o white heat.