London’s Black Metal duo OLD FOREST has been around since 1998 with a plethora of releases, the most recent being “Sutwyke”, named after Southwick on the outskirts of Brighton, UK. Kobold and Beleth have delivered again an extremely confident album that has no weak points, no misses, no experimental nonsense and no boundaries. Which is a breath of fresh air these days. Alternating between Black Metal screeches to old world Fenriz style ISENGARD vocals, it’s a nice combo of styles. ‘Faust Recants (Satan Cometh)’ begins the album with an atmospheric guitar in a steady, mid-tempo rhythm that instantly immerses you in its aura, blending old school melancholy without being depressive. ‘Black Hearts Of Sukwyke’ bring in that viking style vocal before morphing into the high-pitched siren sound Kobold’s good at. The music is full and all-enveloping with a power that holds it all together nicely. ‘Zodiac Of War’ could easily be on Fenriz’ “Vinterskugge” with its glorious vocals, foggy guitars and essence of oceans and epic battles. ‘Winter Years Begin’ sounds extremely familiar, but goddamn satisfying. ‘Master Of Arachnids’, ‘Witch Of Prague’ (in two parts) and ‘Effigies To The Flames’ don’t let up on the fucking greatness that this album provides. It’s really impressive that after 25 years a band can keep the ideas rolling and maintain the momentum they’ve carried since the beginning. And to deliver the sound of a full band with just two members is an accomplishment many can’t mirror. Here’s to another two and a half decades of Black Metal. May OLD FOREST continue to sink into the depths with us. For more OLD FOREST information, check out www.facebook.com/oldforestofficial or www.facebook.com/soulsellerrecords