  
Forsaken: After the Fall 9p
I Hate Records/Sound Pollution
Malta means mostly sun and warmth to me, but is now also the home of FORSAKEN. After their formation in 1990 they have produced one single, and MCD and now also 4 CDs. The material has been mostly doom, apart from one little heavy metal excursion in 1996. Now in 2009 they release a grandiose and compelling epic doom album, all according to the info sheet – and all in a cool cover by Jowita Kaminska. Or is it so?
The ominous intro “Tenebrarum” sets the trend of biblical unhappiness and religious doctrines. “Aidenn Fields” is riffed into gear by guitarist Sean Vukovic. The others in the band are; vocalist Leo Stivala, bass player Albert Bell and drummer Simeon Gatt. They create a faster wall of sound, perhaps some Swedish inspired doom? There is the occasional touch of black in the guitar work – apart from that a song to my liking. Vocalist Leo makes a good performance, no growl and a nice vocal range. “Sins of the Tempter” mixes Tony Martin era BLACK SABBATH with CANDLEMASS – really good stuff. “The Lord Sayeth” opens in inauspicious fashion, only to progress into 70-ies style BLACK SABBATH. This is doom that varies and is not too slow, a totally right way to go. The song transpires into “Vanguards of the Void”, such a song by the Birmingham originals would have sold by the truckload. 58 minutes divided into nine songs of varying length provides a prolonged average per track. Pehaps a weakness at times, as well as a strength at times. It varies as the album moves along. The greatest talent of the band must be the guitarist Sean, what riffs he has created. Leo´s voice would have been a disaster with prog metal but here it fits like a glove. “Armida´s Kiss” is also a mix of doom of various age, a splendid amalgam. It is all very entertaining until “The Sage”, that track misses a killer riff and never seems to gain momentum. The ending is nevertheless more entertaining. “Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)” is another epic, as is the odd titled “Metatron and the Mibor Mythos”. If you´re into various eras of BLACK SABBATH plus older CANDLEMASS then this is an album for you!
Track list
Tenebrarum (Intro) Aidenn Falls Sins of the Tempter The Lord Sayeth Vanguards of the Void Armida´s Kiss The Sage Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) Metatron and the Mibor Mythos
www.forsakenmalta.com www.ihaterecords.se
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