TRACKLISTING
1. The Breath Of Leaves
2. Merging Of Body And Soul
3. Bad Omen
4. Battle Of Ragnarok
5. Everblasting Struggle
6. March Of The Deceased
7. Epping Forest
8. Devouring Soul
9. Sphinx's Riddle
10. The Breath Of Fire
review by Jesse A Lambertson exclusively for BRUTALISM.com
The Portuguese band Epping Forest have done two awesome creations with this album EVERBLASTING STRUGGLE. They have invented a fantastic band name (I can’t think of a more wicked band name in the black metal world that is not totally obvious of evil). And they have created a fabulous work of clean aggressive black metal. This is a band hat has honed its shops over its 11 years of existence and their consistent gigs over the years have surely complimented their rehearsal time and inherent talent. The album opens with the documentary sound recording of something wicked coming this way out of those forests and whatever it is at threat for sure.
But Epping Forest is not a black metal band purely. There are also moments of tangible death metal and brutal death (Subtle difference between these two genres I think). For instance, in “The Battle of Ragnarok” the clink of blades and the sheathing of swords open this track. It makes sense right since the name of the track is about fighting. Then the music is two vocal (a higher snake-like voice and a lower vocal that sounds like something out of Cattle Decapitation) positioning of the word preacher and the music is black metal that adds elements of keyboards, a la Old man’s Child, and some off-beat old style stadium rock guitar licks that for great effect and for positive counterpoint before the proper keyboard black metal re-emerges. The following track, the title track, “Everblasting Struggle” is an example of something with the punk structure of Ildjarn except with better production value and wider flatter guitars that float in relation to the on-beat fast skin pounding from solid ground.
Epping Forest is a fine band and I have to admit that my knowledge of the Portuguese scene is quite limited. Perhaps this band will change that for me and for the world. Fight on Epping Forest!
Epping Forest
info@eppingforest.net
http://www.eppingforest.net
Unexploded Records
info@unexplodedrecords.com
http://www.unexplodedrecords.com