Waiting for the metal to hit you
‘Forest Bank’ is an EP of contrasts that are nailed together. The clever use of clashing vocals and music gives this a stamp of its own. The answer as to whether it works or not is such an individual one that the jury could be out forever but the more you hear it the more you realise the answer must be, Yes, both on the title track and on ‘Jehru’ there is no doubt that Son of the Mourning are accomplished musicians, but to get this mix of metal, rock and anthem sounds right is brilliant. It really comes together on ‘To Accept at Face Value’ which has everything you need- axes that soar, vocals that fight each other and drum work that sounds like a dozen machine guns firing at once.
‘Knives For Fingers’ has points that lull you, only to follow with others that are terrifying. In the final track ‘A Broken Palisade’ the success of ‘To Accept on Face Value’ is repeated so much so that you find yourself holding your breath for the start of the number, just waiting for the metal to hit you.
It has to be said that all of the numbers are held together by drum work that makes you think that you have entered some kind of war zone. Truely awesome.