In A Forest Dark - To a God Unknown

 In A Forest Dark is a one-man Gothic blackened death/doom metal band from Portugal, who formed in 2002; musician Mário Pereira (also in the band Eternal Mourning) handles all vocals and instruments.  This latest album, “To A God Unknown,” is the project’s fourth full-length album.

Apparently, this album is inspired by the book of the same name from author John Steinback.  I’m unfamiliar with this novel so if there is anything lyrically, or musically, in reference to the story, then I just lack the frame of reference to catch it.  But it’s worth noting, regardless of my own failings in this area, for any doom fans who also might be fans of the book.  

I may not know the book, but I know my metal in general and doom in particular.  “To A God Unknown,” is a worthy entry into the genre’s pantheon and one of my favorites in what is now the second half of the year.  

“To a God Unknown,” consists of 7 dark dirges of poetry across a runtime of just over 42 minutes.  This is a very solid runtime for the album and none of the songs go over the 8-minute mark—making this a digestible album in terms of what many other Gothic or doom-oriented bands offer.  As such, people new to the genre might find this album a bit more palpable in terms of its length. 

The album’s depth, however, is much longer and deeper.  None of the songs really have a consistent structure per say but instead rely on a very natural flow across a sound that has a lot of details—this is definitely an album that demands multiple listens and each time you’ll get something new out of it.  I really like albums that one can dive into, sort of live inside, and this album is one that offers such an adventure. 

The production handles the songs well—it isn’t clean or raw but finds an even balance between the two.  It’s a full sound that absorbs all the instruments while the mix keeps them separated enough that the wall of sounds doesn’t become indistinguishable noise. 

“To a God Unknown,” is a very atmospheric album that is as melodic as it is heavy.  The Gothic elements intertwine with the more extreme ones in a way that is oftentimes quite moving and beautiful, in a longing and heartfelt way.  

“The Hollow Bellow,” opens with low key somber tinges that unfurl across an emotive landscape of keys.  The guitars and bass join in a subtle way, meticulously letting the layers build on top of each other.  The drums signify the building of a robust, studying foundation, soon joined by excellent extreme growls.   I really like the clean passage—it’s depressive but also surprisingly warm, what with the clean tones and low, Gothic influenced vocal whispers.   I like how epic the song is when it builds back up its momentum because it presents itself in a regal way, instead of arrogant and bombastic.  

The title track is a wonderful Gothic metal doom, beginning with clean guitars and deep clean vocals.  The melodic riffs bring on the doom and gloom but it’s heavy without being heavy while also being light without being light.  The vocals ride atop this melancholic wave before the song returns to another clean passage. My favorite part begins at the 3-minute mark as the last of the vocals fade away, passing the song off to the instruments that create a gorgeous tapestry of grey and black tones.  This song feels like facing something that couldn’t be understood yet living with that solace, walking away knowing that there is nothing to be done about it except moving forward.

The final song, “A Curse So Divine,” is the most urgent of the seven songs, having a much more immediate beginning that jumps straight into a groovy (and filthy) riff that sounds like the final hammer drop of the world’s end.  The music and vocals lean towards blackened doom here–incredible tone on these instruments here and the bass is a standout as well.  I like how well the melodies fit in between the riffs and it is all highlighted by a clean choir that adds to the urgency while the vocals scream out under them.  This song is all rise, and the energy remains infectious throughout—perfect ending for the album. 

In A Forest Dark’s “To A God Known,” is an impressive album because it isn’t afraid to be its own beast, using established genres and sounds but refusing to stay within them.  This is an album with a doom foundation but fused with several different genres, hitting all the sweet spots of what makes them so good while also offering an expansive, explorative sound that is all their own.  This is quite the experience and one that I highly recommended you experience too. 

Rating:  Excellent