Forest Stream - Tears of Mortal Solid (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

This is an EXTREMEMLY good CD

Matt Stoessel | Tolland, CT USA | 05/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really do love this album. Every song is quite different. This would be one of the coolest bands out there if they had more than one kind of singing. This is more doom metal than black. I don't know if I've ever heard such a keyboard/synth driven sound before. The keyboards and synths are EXTREMELY atmospheric. Do NOT judge this album by the cover art - you can get Oceanborn's, Vision's, or Beyond the Veil's atmosphere out of this album. The cover art is actually quite boring. It does set the modd for a very depressing album, like Lake of Sorrow, but only the intro actually fits that cover art. You'll feel like your best friend is dying during each song. Its such a sad sound that Forest Stream plays. To a certain degree, this is like a slower Graveworm, only not as heavy, either. The production is absolutely amazing. It isn't recorded at Finnvox or anything (I think the band's Russian), but it will blow your mind. The keyboards... the album is flat-out loaded with keyboards. Don't compare this to "When the Aurora Falls" or a Children of Bodom album. These are mostly atmospheric keyboards, not simple keyboard notes that sound like an advanced guitar. Songs vary in length a lot. The longer songs don't get boring. I think the longest one is just over 12 minutes and there's one about 11:30. There are 2 or 3 "mid-tros", but I don't think any of the SONGS are under 7:00. The first track is about 3:30 and is a phenomenal intro. It starts off with beautiful keyboards and then starts to sound like Royal Hunt's Intervention (the 14 minute version). There are vocals, but no drums in this track. It leads into the 2nd track which is the most friendly song on the album, meaning that it is like other music, but also has the characteristics that make Forest Stream who they are. After that, you're in for a ride like no other. Tracks 5 and 7 are on the sampler disc that also comes with ...the Infinite by Lunaris and Astronomicom by Without Face, only the album contains the better-produced versions. Track 8, Winter Solsitce is my favorite. It sounds very soft, and there isn't much of a "beat" to it, seeing as how there aren't many drums. There are just half-grunt, half-growl vocals there with the INCREDIBLE, depressing last 2 minutes. After that is the outro, which I believe is 5 minutes. And after the outro... ... its time to hit "replay":-)
I VERY highly recommend this album to fans of anything gothic, doom, death, or black. Just remember that there are NO FEMALE VOCALS. 99999/5 stars. Just kidding:-) But the album honestly is very good. When you get the time, please go read some of my other reviews and say if they helped you or not. Thanks for reading!"

Classic

Kiran Sanjeeva | Del Mar, CA United States | 01/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well... this band from Russia sure makes good, epic doom music. All the songs seem to narrate a story. One can listen to this from the start to the end and it all seems like reading an epic, taking you down different stages and letting you feel and experience each and every moment. Songs are well crafted. The double-bass kick in at the right moments and so do the piano parts. Very soothing at times, and suddenly erupting with deep growls. This album is full of these. I checked out some of their samples first and was so blown away that finally I own one now."

Magnificent!

Brandon S. | Pennsylvania | 08/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tears of Mortal Solitude is the amazing debut CD from Forest Stream! Take a young Opeth and add keyboard elements with a sadder theme of lyrics and this is what pops out. If you visit the official website, it says this album is part one of a three part "series". This album is Sorrow, which fits the sound completely!

Amazingly clear production with great quality, all of the instruments and the vocals are mixed perfectly. The drums on the album are programmed, but they have the best sound I have ever heard for programmed drums. The next release will have a real drummer, check out the official website."

Epic songs; Doom Metal masterpiece from Russia!

mysanthropyk_overlord | USA | 02/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One doesn't think much about doom metal when they think of Russia, the former antagonist of the Western Hemisphere. Well, those folks should listen to Forest Stream. A three-member band with a drum machine (which is okay because I use a drum machine :) ), a powerful vocalist, and excellent guitar and keyboard work is what makes up this act. The band writes incredibly long, but NEVER boring, songs. The vocalist sounds a lot like Morten Veland (Sirenia, ex-Tristania), which is a very good thing. He also does some clean singing. The band is composed of 'Sonm the Darkest' (vocals, keys/programming), 'Wizard Omin' (guitars), and 'Silent Anth' (bass). The disc features nine songs and is slightly over an hour in length. Since CDNOW doesn't provide it, here's the track list:1. Autumn Elegy (3:53)
2. Legend (8:08)
3. Last Season Purity (12:16)
4. Snowfall (9:55)
5. Mel Kor (8:51)
6. Whole (5:16)
7. Black Swans (10:34)
8. Winter Solstice (8:28)
9. Steps of Mankind (1:37)I don't know if every version has this, but there's a bonus disc that comes with it, with nine sampler songs from Earache Records. Among these are demo versions of Forest Stream's "Mel Kor" and "Black Swans," along with songs from Lunaris, Rakoth, Ephel Duath (2 songs each), and Without Face (1 song). Good stuff to say this really isn't a very expensive CD. The only downside is that there are some SLIGHT production flaws, but nothing like an old Emperor or Dimmu Borgir CD. It's just that the guitars don't sound as clean as they could."

Epic and trance-inducing.

D. Knouse | vancouver, washington United States | 02/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Think My Dying Bride merged with Tangerine Dream and you may begin to get an idea of what this CD sounds like. It has the brutal moodiness of MDB mixed with the ambience of TD. But this album is half-and-half. The first half is Progressive Doom Metal and it stays that way for a while, but it gradually and fluidly changes pace into a more atmospheric, gothic texture. This album really doesn't seem all that long to me, being a loyal fan of MDB, but it is nearly 70 minutes of music and texture and could seem lengthy to some. I did enjoy the CD, but I wish they had stayed with the more aggressive songwriting of the earlier tracks. But that being a matter of taste, this CD is worth owning for all interested in Doom Metal or gothic songwriting. There is a lot of both styles to be found here. Later."

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