Album Details

• Artist: Dark Forest
• Album: Dawn Of Infinity
• Label: Cruz del Sur
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2011-11-02

Not to be confused with the half-dozen other Dark Forests out there, this outfit is a UK product that plays a classic, NWOBHM blend of metal. Dark Forest is releasing their sophomore album, Dawn of Infinity, in the hopes that their old tricks still inspire new listeners. I, for one, will never tire of this Maiden-esque guitar-fueled metal purity, no matter how many variations of the sound I come across. And while Dark Forest don't come off as the second coming, they are certainly capable and talented enough to leave a mark in what has become an oversaturated genre in the last decade.

Any band of this nature lives and dies by the power and effectiveness of it's guitar attack. Thankfully, the duo of Jim Lees and Christian Horton (who also handles the vocals) is capable and talented, even though the riffs can get a bit stale and repetitive from first to last. That's my only real complaint with Dawn of Infinity; despite the 10 tracks lasting a little less than an hour, certain riff patterns and overall song structuring and tempos repeat themselves here and there and detract from what is otherwise solid, dependable metal. Christian is a very solid vocalist, but doesn't stand out with the flair and skill of some others in his line of work. Your tracks to pay closer attention to include "Hourglass", which is an awesome intro, "Sieze The Day" with it's intriguing melodies and hooks, "Under The Greenwood Tree" for some of the album's best guitarwork, and the darker, more epic closer "Deadly Premonition", where the band strikes the best balance of mood and melody.

Despite bits and pieces of the album bogging down the overall product, Dawn of Infinity has enough to it to warrant a purchase by those fans of traditional/power metal. I imagine the biggest appeal of Dark Forest is how effectively they ply the trade of a once-phenomenal musical movement. They would have been more than at home in the early 80's, when the likes of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden were making waves with sounds eerily similar to what you'll find here.   

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