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DARK FOREST
Ridge & Furrow EP

Cruz Del Sur Music (2022)
Rating: 8/10

These are the sort of releases which take me back to my youth whereby many hours were spent thumbing through pages of sword n’ sorcery books while Dungeons & Dragons figures leered from the shelves. Dudley, England-based Dark Forest brings the sort of folk-tinged traditional metal soundtrack to one and all, and in return you should raise a hefty tankard back at them for being so satisfying.

When these guys emerged back in 2002 they were a tad naïve, expectedly raw but promising. However, it wasn’t until their 2009 self-titled debut full-length that they really began to ascend to the misty mountains of the shire. And now we come to this new EP, another absorbing gem of an outing which prompted me to pack bow and arrow and take to the woods for a fireside jig in honour of the band and their beguiling metal.

Throw this opus back into the foggy aeons of 1982 and you’ve got yourself a minor classic, although as it stands today, such warm and folky melodies may be lost on many outside of the band’s local pub, but let’s not allow this to happen. Dark Forest is one of the best British metal acts around at the moment and as expected this EP bristles with an autumnal chime; it’s mystical, mesmeric, and enchanting and awash with airy guitar work, crisp percussion and bass, and the lofty vocal soars of Josh Winnard.

Ridge & Furrow is brim full of positive energy, which is quite surprising in a sense because a lot of metal of this ilk tends to have that half-hinted folk horror essence, but instead Dark Forest inspires, warms and sparks.

‘Skylark’ stirs the soul like the sight of a soaring bird emerging from the nest and becoming free, while ‘The Golden Acre’ flirts with a melodious folk streak in its guitar work as the steady drum of Adam Sidaway merrily flirts with the bass. It’s all so delightfully uplifting; nifty, breezy and bright as the anthemic title track – bristling with an Iron Maiden-esque hue – charms. All is fluid, free and uproarious as boisterous leads swirl like bonfire smoke before the vapours fall and trickle into the gloriously serene instrumental ‘Meadowland’, the musical equivalent of watching BBC’s Springwatch!

The closing ‘Under The Greenwood Tree’ provides more folk-infused hard rock as the listener is transported through lush orchards and over sizzling hills of green pastures, only to be dipped into sparkling streams. I’m hearing Helloween circa their classic Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums at times, but for the most part it is quintessentially British and bathed in rustic atmosphere.

From the likes of Wytch Hazel to Ashbury and Wishbone Ash in-between, Dark Forest clearly belongs in that magical kingdom that is rich in history and oh so buoyant musically.

Neil Arnold

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