Neutral Forest

Executing a sound that dwells in the darkest depths of the death metal reign, ‘Neutral forest’ demo tape is an intricate effort that melds aggression and dexterity with a bunch of fast riffs and feverish leads. The results are four mind-numbing songs filled with anger and pretentiousness. These songs are competently played and quite mature for a band that was formed by young Finnish musicians under 18. they delved in the deadly craft of death metal with aplomb, embracing the style and printing some Phlegethon trademarks. In ‘Neutral Forest’ you won’t hear any clean vocals, harmonies are kept to a minimum, and an policy of extended song-writing is applied to the songs.

Musically, the band come across as a dynamic unit, incorporating a myriad of down-tuned riffs into every song without falling in love with one riff and beating it into the ground. Songs are entertaining but they still seem somewhat different. Vocals are the primary culprit, as vocalist Teemu Hannonen seems to whisper word after word fastly. Even there are moments when the vocals disappear under the thick layers of dense riffs. In fact, ‘Neutral Forest’ can lead us through musical tension and passiveness. Even though the genre is turning into a whirl of redundancy, ‘Neutral Forest’ is an enjoyable effort in spite of its voluminous content.