The human essence is plagued by a multitude of afflictions, and their psychological marks drive the creative forces surrounding FORGOTTEN, a new Hellenic specter that recently offered its first meditation on those forlorn influences. A classic rawness outlines the blizzard commencing on “Is This the Gift You Call Life,” with an immense burden reflected in its barrage of blasts and tremolo layers, and the melodies possess a hypnotic quality along with intricacies unfolding over multiple structures. The drumwork likewise evolves with some entrancing areas and distinct beats noted within double bass transitions, and a ritualistic aura is imbued by spoken and backing voices during a somber passage through the storm.
A culmination is perceived in the energy before melancholy trudges to the slower pace of “The Illusion of Truth,” and it escalates alongside dismal riff progressions, which later merge with vocal patterns exercising a deeper level of torment. There are moments here when the lower vocals come off as slightly awkward or forced, but at others they aptly express a sense of consuming anguish, and that intensity continues expanding after ambient keys briefly reinforce the atmosphere. Ferocity is distinguished in the production when “Bound in Misery” rages ahead, and the frenzy of this full assault is compounded by heightened screams, which then shift intuitively to match the abyss of heavy riff forms harnessing other wrathful elements.
Malignant shadows resonate from the dissonance of these regions, and other detailed fret shapes are faintly discerned within a mass coagulating toward “Woods of Torment,” where other instrumental varieties begin taking greater prominence in the arrangements. Its haunting arpeggiated melody evokes a bleakness extending to cold and dense tremolo disharmonies, and a distinct level of despair is noted vocally, with exchanges between piercing rasps and cleans that drift into acoustic territories on “Pilgrims of an Unknown Future.” Those strings combine with pianos and multiple vocal dynamics to create a secluded atmosphere, and it lingers on “A Dream Within a Dream” while paying tribute to Edgar Allan Poe.
His poetic themes easily relate to the overarching context of this work, and their substance is viscerally presented in verses read and punctuated by harsh accents, along with the lead rising to finalize an evocative closure. The efforts made on Whispers of Existence reflect a predilection for the raw and primitive roots of black metal, but with an elemental range that also engages vital amounts of experimentation, and its inherent depth introduces a promising act whose return will be eagerly awaited.
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