Altar of Patrons #15
Band: Forlorn World
Title: Umbra
Release date: 13 October 2020
Country: UK
FORLORN WORLD is the brainchild of Josh McMorran (founding member of Bloodshot Dawn) and was founded in July 2019 with the intention to weave an epic plot together. Just 15 months later, he released the debut album “Umbra” (13 October 2020), and after the first promising listens, I was really surprised to learn that this is nearly a “one-man show”, with some guest appearances.
Telling the story of a man who is forced to take a dark path, finding revenge and redemption, with “Forlorn World” as narrative backdrop, it’s the epilogue of a great saga in a fictional universe, based on the world we live in and trials we all face together.
The detailed, gloomy cover artwork shows a mystical tree, surrounded by high mountains and an army of knights. It seems as they’re attending a kind of ritual.
Musically speaking, “Umbra” is best described as progressive melodicdeath metal. The songs are powerful and straight forward, supported by a strong rhythm section, and an orchestration that offers a solid background, without becoming too dominant. The guitars come up with hard hitting riffs, but also impressive, virtuoso solo parts, which brings an interesting variety to the tracks. Growled and clean vocals alternate and give the different parts the needed expression.
All together, FORLORN WORLD’s debutis a pretty short album with its 30 minutes, but as there are no fillers, it is best played as a unit from the first to the last second. Thanks to the great production, “Umbra” became an epic listening experience, on which especially the guitar work stands out for me. Crank it up!
Track List
1. Moving Mountains
2. The Shadowmancer
3. Before the End
4. March into Void
5. Traveller
6. Pillars of Eternity
7. Umbra
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