CoC : A Forest of Stars - The Corpse of Rebirth : Review

A Forest of Stars - _The Corpse of Rebirth_
(Transcendental Creations, 2008)
by: Quentin Kalis (8 out of 10)

The evocatively-named A Forest of Stars has provided one the stronger debuts in 2008. They have been misleadingly described as psychedelic black metal, a judgement which seems to have been made purely on snatches of manipulated vocals and an extended bout of ritualistic drumming on one song. They may as well be described as a Burzum-inspired because of the shrieks used in part, or gothic because of the prominent use of a violin -- at best, accurate only for a few minutes and wholly unhelpful. And speaking of the violin, it is used in an unconventional manner, driving the opener forward rather than observed the usual subservient role. But then, none of these distinctive five tracks can really be called orthodox, progressing at once both unexpectedly and delightfully. I wouldn't say that this is a technical band, but they do have their pulse on the nexus of black metal and the avantgarde. Sadly, this is ridiculously limited release, but a reprint would not go amiss, especially if this is an upset on many "best of" lists of the past year.

Contact: http://www.aforestofstars.co.uk

(article published 24/2/2009)