Lucifer Rex

I'm inclined to give this a higher score, but there just isn't anything too unique about Spell Forest; the album, however, is fantastic for fans of a bit grimmer-than-usual lightly symphonic black metal. The keyboards aren't as annoyingly prominent as with some albums, so I'd have to call it "lightly symphonic". This certainly does not mean that the album itself could be called "light" by ANY definition! The music sounds exactly like the band's photo indicates...bristling with pointy metal and exuding an air of clinically-applied corpsepaint, unlike the more haphazard-appearing bands in the black metal pantheon. Spell Forest look very calculated and potentially dangerous, and that is how their music sounds, rather than being filthy and immediate.

The sound on "Lucifer Rex" is quite sharp without being shrill; there is actually a very evident bass presence, as well; the bass (whether or not it is the bass guitar or the keyboards) manifests itself in what I feel is the best, non-obtrusive way...in other words, you hear it as an underlying yet palpable tone, rather than some offensive "hey, I really like JAZZ and believe it should be incorporated into metal!" way that certain bass players employ to stink up otherwise great music. And the lower end manages to not be muddy or murky. The guitars are quite thick-sounding, with an abundance of impressive riffs appearing thoughout the album. The drums seem to be perfectly mixed in, neither too loud or too obscure...though I don't find them to be particularly "exciting", they serve the music excellently. The vocals are in very typical black metal styling, a not too piercing mid-range scraping shriek, with a decent modicum of variety.

"Lucifer Rex" manages to capture a dark, occult mood (if not anything particularly "occult" about it) within the realms of symphonic black metal, with more of an emphasis on the 'metal' than the 'symphonic'. It may be that even those who disdain the use of keyboards may like Spell Forest, as there really is a hideous "kvlt" feeling to this album. I think they hover just outside the border of absurdity as far as their Satanic imagery and lyrics go; some may take such things deadly serious, in fact. Though I can't! But I certainly enjoy their material very much, albeit not original in any way. There is one particularly interesting (or hokey) part of the album that apparently is meant to be the sounds of a really super-evil Satanic ceremony, complete with moaning babes, curious slapping sounds, farm animals, and other prescribed spooky noises. Then there is a sort of aural climax that can be construed as the listener likes. (hmmm, upon reflection, this sounds a bit like the old intros that Mercyful Fate used to use at their shows).

For some reason, the album cover's artwork is pretty crummy, though the inside booklet is quite well done. And Spell Forest also enjoy one of the most incomprehensible logos in black metal! I'll be looking to pick up their other albums whenever I can find them.