┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│■ ■│
│ .-/ .-. │
│ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │
│ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │
│ / || (:/:| \ │
│ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │
│ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │
│ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │
│ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │
│ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │
│ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │
│ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │
│ \:-~ ~-:/ │
│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
│ │
│ + Forefather - Last Of The Line + │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Feb-19-2012 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Black Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2011 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......The_Patriarch Songs........12 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.forefather.net ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Forefather Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Last Of The Line Label : Seven KIngdoms ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ When a band records a masterpiece, the following ║ │
│║ album is usually approached with careful ║ │
│║ optimism and a good load of natural scepticism, ║ │
│║ because only too often they cannot re-capture ║ │
│║ the brilliance of the previous effort. British ║ │
│║ FOREFATHERÆs ôSteadfastö had been such an ║ │
│║ instance back in 2008, where I pulled out the ║ │
│║ 9,5 rating without hesitation and now with ôLast ║ │
│║ Of The Lineö they are back to take the world by ║ │
│║ storm once more and unleash their unique brand ║ │
│║ of Anglo-Saxon Metal on the hordes of Metal fans ║ │
│║ out there. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Now when I say unique, I mean that you can ║ │
│║ fairly easily identify a FOREFATHER track out of ║ │
│║ a line-up of more or less related songs, thanks ║ │
│║ to the dynamic mix of Pagan/Viking Metal, some ║ │
│║ Heavy/Power Metal influences in the riffing and ║ │
│║ the inimitable use of excellent clear vocals ║ │
│║ that never are used as a gimmick to make the ║ │
│║ music more approachable, but are always used ║ │
│║ within the best context of the song. So to come ║ │
│║ back to ôLast Of The Lineö, it had been an album ║ │
│║ that was very quietly approaching, since I had ║ │
│║ not even been aware it was in the making until ║ │
│║ it hit, so the brothers of Athelstan and ║ │
│║ Wulfstan surely are not about flashy promotion ║ │
│║ and trying to have their name appear in every ║ │
│║ piece of the yellow press, just to create a ║ │
│║ hype, instead they are quietly doing their thing ║ │
│║ and even release it on their own label Seven ║ │
│║ Kingdoms, so to say that they are pulling their ║ │
│║ own thing through could not be closer to the ║ │
│║ truth. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ And while my scepticism was trying to take over ║ │
│║ when I first listened to the new album, the ║ │
│║ first listen left me unsure of what to think, ║ │
│║ because while all the ôingredientsö were there, ║ │
│║ only some of the tracks managed to catch fire, ║ │
│║ so I was not sure, if it was because of my ║ │
│║ expectations being too high, the songs not being ║ │
│║ as magnificent as hoped for or the beauty just ║ │
│║ laid underneath. So on to the next round and ║ │
│║ from then on with each repeated listen, the ║ │
│║ world of FOREFATHER opened up a little further ║ │
│║ again, revealing more and more details. At first ║ │
│║ I had thought that one-minute opener ôCometh The ║ │
│║ Kingö would be nothing but your usual intro, but ║ │
│║ no, the two young Englishmen managed to put a ║ │
│║ full, short and epic instrumental song at the ║ │
│║ prow of this longship piercing through the waves ║ │
│║ of the Northern Sea. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ôEpicö is probably the adjective best describing ║ │
│║ ôLast Of The Lineö, and while I could have ║ │
│║ perfectly lived with a ôSteadfast Part IIö, I ║ │
│║ commend the two brothers for not just taking the ║ │
│║ easy way out by performing a mere repeat. ║ │
│║ Instead I find that the influence of Power/Heavy ║ │
│║ Metal seems a little higher in the riffs and ║ │
│║ also some of the melody lines, but donÆt fret, ║ │
│║ they have not gone commercial on us or stepped ║ │
│║ away from their roots, we still get the fast ║ │
│║ eruptions, the fierce growls and pagan feel, ║ │
│║ together with the excellent clear vocals of ║ │
│║ Wulfstan and sweeping melodies bringing us a mix ║ │
│║ that still to this date nobody really has ║ │
│║ managed to emulate, which obviously speaks for ║ │
│║ the bandÆs originality. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ As before, it is difficult for me to pick/point ║ │
│║ out single songs, but if I was forced to name my ║ │
│║ personal favourites, IÆd have to mention the ║ │
│║ following, all for different reasons, be it the ║ │
│║ catchiness of the title track, the immediate ║ │
│║ urgency intertwined with the playful guitars of ║ │
│║ ôChorus Of Steelö, the sweeping and super-catchy ║ │
│║ chorus of ôWolves Of Prayerö, the once more ║ │
│║ soaring chorus of ôDoomsday Dawnsö, the sheer ║ │
│║ epic grandeur of ôSpears Of Faithö or the ║ │
│║ reflective and epic calmness of ôThe ║ │
│║ Downfallenö, distinctly FOREFATHER yet at the ║ │
│║ same time distinctly different. The only track ║ │
│║ that fails to connect with me is ôWyrda ║ │
│║ Gesceaftö, where the kind of spoken/recited ║ │
│║ delivery of the Old English lyrics doesnÆt quite ║ │
│║ mesh with the rest of the song, but that might ║ │
│║ very well just be me. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The production once more is clear and strong, ║ │
│║ letting each element of FOREFATHERÆs sound shine ║ │
│║ and find its rightful place, while the artwork ║ │
│║ again is the perfect complement to the music ║ │
│║ contained. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ All in all, while not being able to surpass ║ │
│║ ôSteadfastö, ôLast Of The Lineö is a very strong ║ │
│║ album for FOREFATHER and stands in full ║ │
│║ tradition of their previous releases without ║ │
│║ resorting to copyism or forced evolution. Even ║ │
│║ with their sixth album, Athelstan and Wulfstan ║ │
│║ still stand proud in the prow of the longship ║ │
│║ that is FOREFATHER, spearheading Anglo-Saxon ║ │
│║ Metal worldwide! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Cometh the King [00:54] │
│ 02 - Last of the Line [04:44] │
│ 03 - Chorus of Steel [04:43] │
│ 04 - By Thy Deeds [04:51] │
│ 05 - Up High [05:09] │
│ 06 - Wolves of Prayer [04:58] │
│ 07 - Wyrda Gesceaft [03:06] │
│ 08 - Doomsday Dawns [06:43] │
│ 09 - Shadows of the Dead [05:25] │
│ 10 - Spears of Faith [04:54] │
│ 11 - The Downfallen [05:53] │
│ 12 - Into the Rising Sun [03:52] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [55:12 minn │
│ │
│ │
│ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘