Published: April 21, 2020

One of the very few advantages of the COVID-19 pandemic is that we can now work from home and listen to music non-stop. As one of the more interesting releases to creep into our inbox, today we have Forlesen and their two song, 36 minute release “Hierophant Violent”. Featuring members of Lotus Thief, Kayo Dot, Botanist, Maudlin of the Well this band creates a transcendental musical experience with a very powerful and carefully crafted sound.

Kicking off the release with the hypnotizing atmospherics of “Following Light”, the band creates a very dreamy mood as the song progresses into magical ethereal interludes and very cathartic moments. The guitars and drums are perfectly leveled with the atmospheric elements, allowing a very unique interplay between these elements and the haunting male and female vocals.

After the first ‘warm-up’ track, “Nightbridge” continues the journey with another hypnotic intro that suddenly transform with warm and fuzzy guitars. Mixing dark ambient with psychedelic elements, this track creates a very interesting sense of clarity and epicness as the doomy guitar leads rip through the atmosphere and lead into aural decadence. The middle section of this track is by far one of the most epic and dramatic we have heard in quite a while.

As a whole, “Hierophant Violet” is quite a moving and different musical journey. While there are some familiar elements, the combination of them and the way the tracks progress is quite powerful and unique. If you are looking for over the top and epic atmospheric music, Forlesen has managed to craft one of the most awesome releases in this category in 2020.