Fornost Arnor have been around since 2005 in once state or another, but now with a more stable line up they have released their debut album, ‘Escaping the Abyss’ on their very own Witch-king Records. From the off it is clear that there are always going to be comparisons to the mighty Opeth here. Fornost Arnor deal in a similar kind of meandering ‘progressive [read: acoustic sections] death metal’ that Opeth have popularised and made their own. It’s a shame really, as I’m sure many bands that share a resemblance will be brushed aside as mere imitators. A good Opeth clone is no bad thing mind you. However, Fornost Arnor are one band who should definitely not be ignored, to do so would be to deny yourself some of the most well thought out and engaging prog tinged death I have heard in a long time. While the basic Opeth template may have been employed, there are many differences. Fornost Arnor have a more traditionally folk sound in their acoustic parts than the Swedes, and they incorporate much more black metal influence, with plenty of blasting and tremolo sections. Greg Chivers is possessed of a very distinct and powerful scream, slightly strained and black metalish, yet showing great diversity with guttural grows used as well to great effect. The clean vocals are, for once in a metal band that blends the two, very well done and even complement the music perfectly, especially on the fully acoustic track ‘Her Face In The Water’.  When listening through the album, behind all the brutal technicality and beautifully smooth section changes a few things really stand out to me.

There seems to be an overwhelming bleakness to the album, a sense of melancholy the weaves its way through the songs and gives them much more lasting appeal to me. Take the majestic ‘Strength Of The Heart’, one of my favourite songs on the album, as it shifts and changes it exudes a powerful atmosphere of cold, forgotten places. Or maybe I just took the album artwork too seriously. It’s not all doom and gloom the upbeat, acoustic strumming on ‘A Trance Of Madness’ does provide a ray of light. I would highly recommend Fornost Arnor to anyone with even a passing interest in progressive metal; they are a brilliant example of how they genre should be, technically perfect, beautifully executed and hugely enjoyable.

Carl Sucharyna Thomas