Well, if you like raw Black Metal with totally sick and raspy screams, that are accompanied by Pagan Metal-like clean vocals / chants and some simple keyboard passages, then GREAT VAST FOREST from Brazil might be the right choice for you! There’s definitely nothing very innovative about this band, except maybe that this kind of music usually does not emerge from the rainforest, but from Scandinavian fjords. "Battletales And Songs Of Steel" lives off its underground feeling and charme, but has, honestly spoken, some slight comical and ridiculous elements, that made me laugh whenever I listened to those Brazilian Metal barbarians. Especially the clean vocals are awful in my opinion and consist mostly of some "oh ho oh…" – variations and sound a bit repetative. Also the kind of "wolf-howl" at the beginning of track 3, ‘Wolvesclan’, sounds extremely shitty and definitely not like a wolf, maybe Brazilian wolves (I don’t think they have wolves over there, maybe coyotes) howl different than the European ones, ha ha!!! Anyway, if those clean vocals would have been reduced "Battletales And Songs Of Steel" would be a good raw Black Metal CD with a bassy, warm sound. In my opinion Pagan Metal fans should check out this CD, maybe they like it more than I do, but everyone has to listen to GREAT VAST FOREST’s debut because of the "wolf-howl", it is so funny!!! Who likes to give those Brazilian warriors a serious chance, should check out a MP3 file of this act on their label’s website, www.evilhorderec.com, it is a fantastic site and they even have some better bands too. GREAT VAST FOREST can be contacted through the following address: Rua Independencia N° 208, Bairro Gethal, Lages – SC, 88.520 – 400, Brasil. Email: surgath.gvf@matrix.com.br Website: www.greatvastforest.cjb.net