*ahem*
Hate Forest - Battlefields
2004 - FERLY013CD - Supernal Music
Reviewed By: Matthew Scarborough
I have to admit, taking previous Hate Forest releases into account, I was not expecting this at all. Fortunately for us, this is a good thing. This album moves away from what they were doing with their last release, "Purity", and moves in a new direction which seems to be the flip side of the coin which is their Drudkh side project. While Drudkh seems to be more nature and seasonal oriented, Battlefields seems to convey the conflict of the people who inhabit that land, and by human nature, makes it a darker album chock full of hateful bitterness at the condition of the Slavonic nation, expressed through a deviation from their last album's style to a more different approach of nationalistic doom metal.
The Doom Metal label actually only applies to three songs out of seven, because the rest of the tracks are traditional Ukrainian songs interlaced between the metal songs. These traditional folk songs are preformed by a couple of singing women, and lend an ethnic authenticity to the album that is not just there for the sake of adding culture, but these short 1 to 2 minute songs interlaced between add power and feeling, as well as a sadness to the work which sends shivers down my spine, especially the opening song. As for the metal songs that comprise the main part of the album, are stylistically bombastic and doomy, while maintaining certain trademark Hate Forest elements, such as the predominant death growled vocals, and the drummer still has his fixation on consistent and well preformed kick drums.
There are only three metal songs on this release, which can be seen as a bad thing, because if it weren't for the inter-dispersed folk songs, this album would be very short. "With Fire And Iron" is probably one of the best Hate Forest songs to date. It makes use of all the trademark Hate Forest elements, even has a few fast parts which make me think about their last album a little bit, reminding me, that yes... this is still the Hate Forest that I know. Drumming throughout all three of the metal songs is very well preformed, and there is a good and very tasteful application of atmospheric keyboards in the background is used well throughout the album, mainly incarnated as low strings and bells. "Our Fading Horizons" has a decidedly militaristic sound, which I would discern from the snare drum beats used frequently throughout. "Glare Over Slavonic Lands" musically reminds me what might happen if old Hate Forest was directly mixed with the Drudkh side project and atmospherically makes me think of what it is foresee a coming dark time and despair of the Slavonic nation as it becomes repressed by foreign forces (although that is just my interpretation).
The album ends with a clip of singing Ukrainian women, and also what sounds like them to be crying. To me, this seems to symbolize the end and the dark time that has arrived leading to centuries of repression.
Hate Forest has created an opus, and is in my honest opinion, their best work to date.
9.25/10
Hate Forest - Battlefields
2004 - FERLY013CD - Supernal Music
Reviewed By: Matthew Scarborough
I have to admit, taking previous Hate Forest releases into account, I was not expecting this at all. Fortunately for us, this is a good thing. This album moves away from what they were doing with their last release, "Purity", and moves in a new direction which seems to be the flip side of the coin which is their Drudkh side project. While Drudkh seems to be more nature and seasonal oriented, Battlefields seems to convey the conflict of the people who inhabit that land, and by human nature, makes it a darker album chock full of hateful bitterness at the condition of the Slavonic nation, expressed through a deviation from their last album's style to a more different approach of nationalistic doom metal.
The Doom Metal label actually only applies to three songs out of seven, because the rest of the tracks are traditional Ukrainian songs interlaced between the metal songs. These traditional folk songs are preformed by a couple of singing women, and lend an ethnic authenticity to the album that is not just there for the sake of adding culture, but these short 1 to 2 minute songs interlaced between add power and feeling, as well as a sadness to the work which sends shivers down my spine, especially the opening song. As for the metal songs that comprise the main part of the album, are stylistically bombastic and doomy, while maintaining certain trademark Hate Forest elements, such as the predominant death growled vocals, and the drummer still has his fixation on consistent and well preformed kick drums.
There are only three metal songs on this release, which can be seen as a bad thing, because if it weren't for the inter-dispersed folk songs, this album would be very short. "With Fire And Iron" is probably one of the best Hate Forest songs to date. It makes use of all the trademark Hate Forest elements, even has a few fast parts which make me think about their last album a little bit, reminding me, that yes... this is still the Hate Forest that I know. Drumming throughout all three of the metal songs is very well preformed, and there is a good and very tasteful application of atmospheric keyboards in the background is used well throughout the album, mainly incarnated as low strings and bells. "Our Fading Horizons" has a decidedly militaristic sound, which I would discern from the snare drum beats used frequently throughout. "Glare Over Slavonic Lands" musically reminds me what might happen if old Hate Forest was directly mixed with the Drudkh side project and atmospherically makes me think of what it is foresee a coming dark time and despair of the Slavonic nation as it becomes repressed by foreign forces (although that is just my interpretation).
The album ends with a clip of singing Ukrainian women, and also what sounds like them to be crying. To me, this seems to symbolize the end and the dark time that has arrived leading to centuries of repression.
Hate Forest has created an opus, and is in my honest opinion, their best work to date.
9.25/10
It's a mighty fine album, but it aint no Autumn Aurora.
