Forsaken
Evermore (CD) 1996 Stone Records
Geography can be a pain in the behind sometimes. Forsaken comes from Malta, an island state in the Mediterranean. And as with almost all releases from the far off corners of the world, they have become really hard to get hold of. If they had lived in, for example, the US, then the availability of this album would most likely have been much better. Another thing that seems to hold back the spreading of Forsaken's music, is the fact that there are two death metal acts with the same name. But fear not doom fans. This Forsaken doesn't have anything in common with death metal, except for the label "metal" of course. On the contrary, Forsaken plays old school traditional doom, also called classic doom. Some of the songs contain rock elements much like Pentagram, or Black Sabbath, but others have more in common with the first offspring from the proto doomsters. Like Candlemass for example. The music is stomping and lies firmly on the low notes. The powerful vocals and rising guitar solos give the whole album a truly epic feel. With this in mind, it could probably be safe to say that even though the music holds on firmly to the good old roots of doom, they still do put in a more modern outfit at times. And even though they do pay tribute to the bands who created this genre, they still manage to create music that is solely their own. One of the main things that distinguish Forsaken from all the other old-school doomsters is the quality of their riffs. And not to mention their guitar solos. There is no good traditional doom that doesn’t encourage playing air guitar when listening to it. Or so I say. Each part of the music fits in perfectly and manages not only to sound really interesting, but also to captivate the listener. If anyone asks me, then I would say that if they are allowed to do so, Forsaken will continue to hold the banners of classic doom on a high standard.	1. The Healer 2. Rubicon 3. Moon Dancer 4. Season's End 5. Vertigo 6. Winter Tears 7. Sufferance 8. Madrigal 9. Slip Stream Approx. 68 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
Iconoclast (mCD) 2002 Golden Lake Productions
With the doom scene being its inventive self as usual, this mini CD shouldn't come as a shock to me. Yet it did. Between previously playing classic traditional doom with the typical rock influences, to the music in this album, there is a vast array of changes done. Growls? On a traditional doom release? I could hardly believe it myself, but there are actually a few times that one can experience growls on this CD. The clean vocals still dominate on 'Iconoclast', but they differ much from the ones in 'Evermore'. They have matured into a much more modern aspect of, amongst others, vocals that are half soprano and half epic. Even female vocals sneak into the mix on a few occasions. The music has changed at least as much as the vocals. On 'Evermore' there was a very classic sound with touches of epic traditional doom. Now the music has grown far more epic than most epic doom bands. A few gothic influences like the touches of piano here and there, and a keyboard in the background, increase the grandness of the sound even more. Honestly, the aura of epicness in the track 'Via Crusis (The Way Of The Cross)' is actually so high that quite a few Stratovarius soundalikes must bow deeply for them. The pace of the songs went up as well. There is still a lot of doom left in the music, but very often it borders to heavy metal. Sometimes even crossing over. The solos are even more impressive than before. Air guitar perfect, if one could explain it that way. The main link back to 'Evermore' are actually the riffs. Although the riffage is now shrouded in synths and epic curtains, it is still not all that far from the same. They lack the rock feeling, but are otherwise very much of what we have heard before from Forsaken. They have clearly not forgotten their roots of Black Sabbath style music, but here the sound lies much closer to Solitude Aeturnus. I wonder if this mCD is actually an experiment of sorts. With all the new elements and innovative musical designs it could seem that way. Perhaps they are trying to settle in a musical identity of their own? I have to get hold of 'Anima Mundi', their next album, and find out.	1. Where Angels Have Fallen 2. Via Crusis (The Way Of The Cross) 3. A Martyr's Prayer 4. Wither The Hour Approx. 34 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
Anima Mundi (CD) 2004 Golden Lake Productions
This year, 2004, has given us many good releases. But few are as original and inspiring as this one. From the old school traditional doom they used to play, Forsaken has evolved into a niche of their own. A niche that I honestly think suits them perfectly. 'Iconoclast' introduced far more epic music than their previous releases. It has now evolved further with epic keyboards, choirs and sometimes intensely majestic music. Although I hesitate to call this doom/power metal, there is indeed a massive influence from power metal in their music. The other major influence is a traditional doom based on modern heavy metal. The vocalist really puts his powerful voice into action. He doesn't dominate the music, but he does bring an enormous contribution to the general atmosphere. The other band members aid him occasionally with death metal grunts or clear vocals. It is after all a proven fact that music does reach new levels of height when there are multiple singers. With the immense epic sound that Forsaken incorporates into their doom riffage, it is hard to compare them to anyone. Solitude Aeturnus and Doomsword fans would definitely enjoy this, but the riffs opens the door for fans of Candlemass and Krux too. Only a few releases ever make the journey to becoming a classic. I think that this CD does stand the chance of making it. It will please fans of just about all doom. I have given my vote. Now all that is left is to await the verdict of the rest of the doom world.	1. Kindred Veil 2. Sephiroth 3. The Poet's Nightmare 4. Whispering Soul 5. The Eyes Of Prometheus 6. Carpe Diem 7. All Is Acomplished Approx. 52 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen