DARK FOREST — The Awakening (review)

DARK FOREST — The Awakening album cover Album · 2014 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
adg211288
The Awakening (2014) is the third full-length album by UK heavy metal act Dark Forest. It's been a few years now since this young band first wowed me with their previous album Dawn of Infinity (2011) and once again they've switched lead singers between albums, following the departure of Will Lowry-Scott in 2012. The new man behind the microphone is one Josh Winnard who until last year was also of the band Wytch Hazel. Patrick Jenkins has additionally replaced Jim Lees as one of the group's guitarists.

Musically The Awakening picks up from the same ideas that made Dawn of Infinity. Whereas the self-titled debut (2009) was a slightly more varied album in terms of the stylistic influences that could be heard Dawn of Infinity showed a markedly more focused sound of classic heavy metal with some nods towards power metal. Topped off with Lowry-Scott's much improved vocal performance compared to that of guitarist Christian Horton, who sang on the debut, it was almost like two different bands. The Awakening in comparison is the work of a band who sound like they discovered what they wanted to do on their last album and so have now produced more of the same, although a few more power metal passages have crept into their heavy metal sound this time, including the dominate power metal track, Rise Like Lions.

Josh Winnard's vocals are the most noticeable difference between The Awakening and Dawn of Infinity. His voice isn't as deep as Will Lowry-Scott's (a singer who at times reminded me of Blaze Bayley) and without intending to do him a disservice, he doesn't have such a distinctive tone as his predecessor. In Josh's defence he did have pretty big boots to fill and he carries The Awakening really well, so any lasting disappointments over Lowry-Scott's departure are short-lived as soon as the album's opening title track kicks off. More than anything his voice aides the whole retro sound that Dark Forest have always had going on; they sound like a NWoBHM throwback more than ever really.

The prior album was one of my top picks for 2011 though, as well as one of the best traditional heavy metal albums I've ever heard, so The Awakening always had a lot to live up to, even if Will Lowry-Scott had still been the singer. Honestly I don't think Dark Forest made it up to that level again with this one. They sound like they've given it a bloody good go, tracks such as Secret Commonwealth, Rise Like Lions, and Sons of England being particular favourites, but overall I can't shake the feeling that I wouldn't be totally wowed by The Awakening if Dark Forest hadn't already made a fan out of me with Dawn of Infinity. This is still a work of high quality material from one of the UK's most talented young acts.
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