Заревом над прахом / Like a Blaze Above the Ashes

If someone wanted to know what black metal was, I wouldn't hesitate to show them "Like a Blaze Above the Ashes" as an example. Imagine taking the best parts of Darkthrone's "Blaze in the Northern Sky", its cold, bitter, unsettling atmosphere, with the hypnotic, trance-inducing sense of being lost in the wild via Darkthrone's "Transilvanian Hunger" and you might come a little close to capturing the sound on this bleak Forest album. But where Forest, and by extension, "Like a Blaze Above the Ashes" stands out even more is how it is based in Russia and captures that Russian perspective well. I've always been on the fence on whether location makes the music - for example, I can agree that "French" black metal has a different feel than "Norwegian" black metal but I've never really been too fixated on the idea. Here, I think the fact that Forest is based out of Russia is very important for driving the sound and atmosphere on this album.

Maybe it's because I'm a westerner, but Russia has always intrigued me. Picture a massive country with an austere, but triumphant presence but very wild lands outside the city; always cold, unpredictable wild life and nature, and anything really goes. Now imagine being there at night, but lost in the middle of nowhere. "Like a Blaze Above the Ashes" conveys this mood perfectly and an album like this can ONLY come from Russia.

The album starts with "By the Roar of the Hammers" call and immediately upon starting there are aggressive riffs that are both sorrowful and triumphant. It hooks you in right away and you will get it stuck in your head. Vocals complement the aggression well, which can be described as echoed, distant, raspy, and authoritative. But more importantly, the Russian language really enhances the mood. I would not get the same mood if this was in English or any other language. The first two tracks follow the same general structure - they hook you in, don't change their melody too much, but keep you ensconced in the general atmosphere. The lack of variety might be a bit offputting, but it actually works for this approach. This isn't really an album you want to always feel entertained and surprised in. You want bleak, unforgiving atmosphere, you'll get it here.

The third track, though, is really special, which can be broken into three parts. The riffs in the first section are a bit scattering - picture wandering the wilderness aimlessly while dealing with the dangerous elements of nature and no light in sight....until you get to the second part, which like the first two tracks, has addicting riffs. it even feels like a jam session. The final part is a more melodic closing.

The fourth and last track is a long instrumental with opera-like vocals and solemn sounding guitar. Aptly titled "Obscurity", it captures a number of feelings - sorrow, tranquility, solitude, and mystery. It drags on for a while but I'll mention again, this just one of those albums you want to get engrossed in so consistency and immersion are key. Needless to say, this is something you can only find in Russia.

What makes "Like a Blaze Above the Ashes" so ahead of the curve is how Forest doesn't need to rely on anything but the basic instruments and sound/production quality to create one of the most authentic black metal albums I've ever heard. Even the cover art captures the mood of the album really well. Next time it snows near your parts and your outside at night next to a wall of trees with a full moon looking down on you, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the tracks from "Like a Blaze Above the Ashes" pops into your head. It is an essential album for the collection of any black metal connoisseur.