Epping Forest - "Everblasting Struggle"

[MysticCosmoS]

Mais algumas noticias do outro lado do Oceano.

"Oh yes, it is blasting. With a name like Everblasting Struggle, it has to blast. And it does. Trust us, it really does.

After the gloomy foresty intro, the second track, called "Merging of Body and Soul," goes straight to the point: light-handed, light-footed, lightspeed blastbeats occupy the major part of the sound picture, and rightfully so. They are simply a joy to listen to.

The rest is not to be joked with, either. This Portuguese quartet doesn't wander around looking for things to do. Although a bit thin, the guitars are always busy doing tremolo-picked swirls and, combined with straightforward, repeating drum patterns, create a series of swift ups and downs coming like waves before the melodic, double bass drum parts bring a moment where one can catch a breath. And then it's savage again.

While the "regular" instruments themselves (and just what they do in the fields of "standard" black metal) would be enough to compare Epping Forest with many well known Swedish black metal bands, there's more depth than you would expect. A couple of short orchestral interludes don't detract in the least. "March of the Deceased," for instance, is the kind of a black metal keyboard instrumental you haven't heard in a while, probably because other bands can't come up with something so convincing, short, but perfectly complete. Then, you'll have to notice the keyboards in the other songs as well. Nothing new, but the piano arpeggios or the large synthesizer sways are just the right thing to complete the experience. Forests, blasting, struggle — as silly as it may sound, it's all here. Nomen est omen.

Apart from the awesome drummer, the guitars and keyboards to match, and the occasional bass madness, there's someone called "Azrael" behind the microphone. He can growl along with the few death metal moments, and do it well, but all the respect goes to his screaming abilities (frankly, it's hard to remember when was the last time I turned up the volume in my headphones just so that I could listen to someone screaming so loud that it feels like a short circuit in the middle of my head). Hails to Azrael.

Everblasting Struggle is barely 40 minutes long, but it will take a fairly large number of listens before you grow bored out of it. Take it in careful doses and it will last for a long, long time."

In Maelstrom [USA]

[Gornoth]

frankly, it's hard to remember when was the last time I turned up the volume in my headphones just so that I could listen to someone screaming so loud that it feels like a short circuit in the middle of my head

Hahaha, brutal.

[MysticCosmoS]

frankly, it's hard to remember when was the last time I turned up the volume in my headphones just so that I could listen to someone screaming so loud that it feels like a short circuit in the middle of my head

Hahaha, brutal.

Nomen est omen.

[MysticCosmoS]

A brand of ferocious yet symphonic black metal which has, as the band themselves point out, a distinctly Nordic feel. In fact, we can be more specific than that- "Everblasting Struggle" sounds, in many places, a good deal like Dimmu Borgir. The co-existence of the blasts and the overblown, jangling, enormous synths on tracks such as "Merging of Body and Soul" and "Devouring Soul" evokes "Death Cult Armageddon", and this act share a theatrical, sky's-the-limit kind of scope with the Norwegians.

Simple but interesting additions make Epping Forest's sound their own, however. While there is no core concept informing this album, the tracks "Bad Omen" and "Sphinx's Riddle" have eastern themes, with the latter introduced by traditional horn music, and the former featuring a twisting solo that would not be out of place on a Melechesh album. The guitar work also contains more variety than a simple copy of Dimmu's powerful stomp; a slight-but-noticeable thrash vibe colours "Merging Of Body and Soul" and "Epping Forest", which also features in its many layers some excellent, original keyboard atmospheres that add real majesty.

The speed invested by the furious, relentless percussive assault also makes it easy for Epping Forest to showcase their more raw, primitive roots, such as on the gritty title track, but they also steer their ship towards 'blackened death' with some really heavy, classic death metal riffs and guttural grunting, for example on "Bad Omen". Overall, then, a multiplicity of influences and flavours, brought together with a degree of success by the overarching symphonic style. A more strident, coherent character will no doubt emerge on consequent releases, as the technical ability is certainly there.

In My Metal Punt [NL]

[MysticCosmoS]

"....In a short term, this is an ambitious band and cautious, with carismatic elements, which may develop into a more sound itself in the very near future". [review completa na versão impressa]

In Escritas do Subsolo [Pt]

[MysticCosmoS]

"Embora esta banda portuguesa de Black/Death metal já exista há 10 anos, só este ano é que lançaram o seu primeiro CD de longa duração: "Everblasting Struggle".
Existem alguns elementos Death Metal aqui e ali, mas estes apenas "acompanham" o dominador som Black Metal.
Menthor (baterista) é conhecido como sendo um dos mais rápidos drummers em Portugal, e EPPING FOREST têm utilizado este ao máximo. A bateria é o instrumento mais rápido, agressivo, caótico e intenso, "obrigando" as guitarras e baixo a trabalharem um pouco mais para por vezes não serem abafadas.
O vocal é como qualquer outra banda black metal. Podemos não perceber, mas Azrael fala sobre nórdicos, egipcios e sobre a mitologia grega.
Os teclados estão presentes e perfeitamente perceptíveis, mas não usados intensivamente.
Concordo com algumas criticas que comparam EPPING FOREST aos Dimmu Borgir. A sonoridade é bastante similar.
Mas de certeza que este álbum está a ser bem apreciado pelos metalheads e "Everblasting Struggel" é concerteza uma aposta a melhor álbum nacional de black metal de 2008."

In Backstage Music Forum [Pt]

[MysticCosmoS]

Overview: Carrying the listener to Greek and Egyptian settings through a fierce composite of Black and Death Metal, is what Portugal's Epping Forest have set to accomplish through Everblasting Struggle, their long-awaited debut after ten years of strenuous bustle.
The songs have been arranged in a similar fashion of quite a few vintage Black Metal records - having a reasonable obscure intro before the actual tracks and ending with a rather striking outro - and it conveys a surprisingly tight and clinical musicianship for a premiere recording. Drummer Menthor (of Corpus Christii's fame) provides a remarkable work behind the kit, putting across his calculated savagery in a no less impressive way than those of these genres' experts - something that genuinely affects the songs in a positive way - while the remaining rhythmic section aids convincingly at the same time. Keyboards aren't always in the context, since they only surface to heighten particular parts in different places and, occasionally, the vocals tend to vary in an approach equivalent to Behemoth's.

Production: Polished and sophisticated, but perhaps too prudent, in the sense that it doesn't let the sound strike as vehemently as it should, undermining the guitar assault in crucial segments.

Parting thoughts: Not even a handful of such inceptions have aroused my interest in the past - and particularly from Portuguese projects - but even if I don't consider Everblasting Struggle as entirely inventive or groundbreaking, I wouldn't be truly fair-minded if I didn't regard it as one of this year's top releases from Portugal.

In The Lodge [Pt]