Forsaken – After The Fall

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2009 is shaping up to be the year of doom. Two five-star doom metal albums are already on the market in the shape of Semlah‘s debut and the latest Candlemass opus, plus the new disc from Isole, now Malta’s Forsaken deliver their new flawless offering (and there’s a new Cathedral album still to come). Mostly very traditional in their approach this time around, with some tracks (The Lord Sayeth, Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)) retaining the raw edge of the first couple of Black Sabbath albums, After The Fall is an overall slower album than Dominaeon and Anima Mundi. Leo Stivala’s vocals are still some of the best in the genre at conveying the pain and torment in the lyrics and Sean Vukovic’s solos are perhaps some of his most Iommi-esque to date. Indeed the self-confessed Sabbath influence on both men is clear and a little more dominant on this record than previous ones, but regardless of that it’s another superb doom record with every element of classic epic doom present.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Doom Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Forsaken