Worm Gear

If black metal has done anything for death metal, other than burning itself out and stepping out of the way, it has charged the melodic qualities of the genre with a haunting sense of otherworldly presence. This may have always existed, but now it is screaming to the forefront and molding bands such as Finland’s Forlorn Chambers into essential newcomers with something worthwhile and meaningful to say.
Unborn and Hollow is a 3 song demo, professionally recorded to achieve an enchanting sound, and churning in an atmosphere overflowing with rich harmonies and an audial vision of strolling through the woodlands in winter. Such perfect resonance arises as those introspective and mournful melody lines, as found on the stunning Desolate Resolution, drift in and take you away as if you were lifted by the wind. This overall feeling in the riffs and accompanying harmonies reminds me of the early 90’s Swedish melodic death/black metal movement, though Forlorn Chambers offers more control and just as many slower/mid-paced tempos to offset the precision blasting found in the title track. The balance in this material is just as perfect as the careful placement of the riffs, poignant bass lines and deeply brutal vocals that manifest and strike out from the core of these songs, though cloaked in a den of reverb to further inject this demo with a mystical quality. On my first listen, the vocals initially seemed odd, or almost too brutal for the music, but this thought quickly disappeared as I became accustomed to the songs and quickly realized the genius of having such a stark contrast of tones acting together to create something that is very mature/developed. Even though I have been throwing around genre definers such as “death” and “black” metal, Forlorn Chambers have arrived at a vibrant crossroads where such terms really don’t matter. They may exist in a nebulous sphere surrounded by the melodious nature found in their surroundings and the genres previously mentioned, Unborn and Hollow is an inspired and deeply moving introduction to a band that can only come back with a full-length’s worth of inspired and amazing music. Forlorn Chambers have blown me away, which is something that certainly doesn’t happen as often as it should. GREAT band. -Marty
http://facebook.com/ForlornChambers

last.fm/music/Forlorn+Chambers

~ by martyworm on March 27, 2013.

Posted in ALL REVIEWS, F-reviews
Tags: Forlorn Chambers, melodic death metal, Unborn and Hollow