A Forest Of Stars - Beware the Sword You Cannot See (Limited Edition 2CD Box) (2015) [320] V01dV

A Forest Of Stars - Beware the Sword You Cannot See (Limited Edition 2CD Box) (2015)

Although they are ostensibly known as a black metal band, England's A Forest of Stars borrow liberally from foreign sonic invaders such as folk music elements, avant-garde atmospherics, and psychedelic art rock to formulate their rather unique personal style. Launched in 2007 by the colorfully named Mister Curse (vocals), Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts (aka Kati Stone of My Dying Bride -- violin, flute, vocals), the Gentleman (synths, pianoforte, drums), and Mr. T.S. Kettleburner (guitar, bass, vocals), A Forest of Stars made their recording debut with 2008's limited-edition (just 1,000 initial copies) The Corpse of Rebirth album, later reissued in larger quantities by the Transcendental Creations label.


Quote:
It is the year 1895. The mysterious Gentlemen Club A Forest Of Stars publicises its fourth opus in the current format of a phonograph cylinder: "Beware The Sword You Cannot See".

With this offering, A Forest Of Stars make good on the promise given on the predecessor "A Shadowplay For Yesterdays" (2012). The compositions are more adventurous and bold, more eccentric and progressive, yet still melodic and accessible like never before. Conceptually, A Forest Of Stars likewise hark back to older issues and develop them further. Whereas "A Shadowplay..." depicted moral decay based on an individual fate, "Beware The Sword..." transfers the topics of demise and insanity into metaphysical spheres. Accordingly, the sound alchemists' music becomes more universal.

The effect of A Forest Of Stars' new album is similar to what the first mechanical reproductions of music at the end of the 19th century achieved: The aural experience leaves the audience equally stumped and euphoric. Be it the compelling nine minutes of opener "Drawing Down The Rain" (which is accompanied by an animated music video that considerably dwarfs even the impressive clip for "Gatherer Of The Pure", the sprawling "Virtus Sola Invicta", which comes close to Scandinavian Progressive Rock's finest moments due to its folkloristic-acoustic interludes, or the sexpartite "Pawn On The Universal Chessboard", which sums up and transcends the group's contextual essence - "Beware The Sword You Cannot See" both maintains tradition and innovates, elaborating on an unmistakable style in the light of a complex yet still approachable concept … and eventually a new yardstick for other purveyors of allegedly visionary, extreme Metal to be measured by.

CD1:
01. Drawing Down the Rain 09:31
02. Hive Mindless 07:28
03. A Blaze of Hammers 07:28
04. Virtus Sola Invicta 06:15
05. Proboscis Master Versus the Powdered Seraphs 07:18
06. Part I - Mindslide 02:21
07. Part II - Have You Got a Light, Boy? 03:58
08. Part III - Perdurabo 03:20
09. Part IV - An Automaton Adrift 04:13
10. Part V - Lowly Worm 02:12
11. Part VI - Let There Be No Light 05:14

CD2:
01. Gestation 02:22
02. Catafalque Caravan Quandary 05:13
03. Plastic Patriarch Lynch Squad (Enduring December) 06:23