A little ways off the coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea rests the densely populated island of Malta. Tourists come to experience the nation’s varied historical influence, along with visiting the nearby Megalithic Temples — the oldest freestanding structures in the world. The nation is also considered one of the globe’s most Catholic countries, boasting an astounding 98% Roman Catholic population. Not exactly the type of place you’d expect to find a ton of heavy metal, but it’s apparently the perfect breeding ground for yet another triumphantly epic doom metal band.
Never heard of Forsaken? Well, if you count yourself a fan of acts such as Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Isole, While Heaven Wept or DoomSword, these guys are undoubtedly worthy of your immediate attention. Since their formation in 1990, Forsaken have released a handful of demos, three full-lengths, and an EP’s worth of soaring tunes that meld elements of traditional/power metal (even more so in the early days) with heavy, headbanging doom. I was converted the moment I heard 2005’s Dominaeon, an album amongst a handful of others that comes close to opening and closing the rulebook for epic doom.
Whether or not this record eventually surpasses my attachment to the band’s previous release still remains to be seen, but After the Fall has some TOWERING songs in its midst that are clearly up for the challenge. One spin of opener “Aidenn Falls” is proof enough of this band’s virtue, as it perfectly embodies all of Forsaken’s strong suits: heavy and dirty doom riffing, an ascending, emotive chorus that’ll stick in your brain for days, and superb leads painting every conceivable corner. “Armida’s Kiss,” “The Sage,” “Dies Irae” and the closing “Metatron and the Mibor Mythos” all follow a similar formula, giving the overall mood a very epic and uplifting stance, but still heavy as a tank tread.
And what sort of epic doom record would this be without the accompanying soaring vocals? Similar to peers such as Messiah and Lowe, Leo Stivala has a huge presence on this record. His clean, impassioned delivery would fit just as snuggly alongside a galloping power metal act, but he sounds equally as inspired (if not more so) delivering the goods for tales involving apocalyptic events and the ultimate battle between good and evil for a fantastic doom band like Forsaken.
With releases already on the shelf from heavyweights such as Revelation, Iron Man, Isole, Candlemass and Dawn of Winter, 2009 has been another banner year for doom, so it’s difficult to imagine that anything else could challenge the throne. After the Fall does just that, however, and it even manages to outmatch a number of their peers in the process.
Death, Magic, Doom, take a backseat –– someone just beat you at your own game…
