Review: “Aether” by Forlorn

Since they wandered in from the bitter, cold and barren wilderness in 2019, Forlorn have never ceased to astound and amaze, sharing stages with everyone from Dying Wish to Crypta and performing at festivals including Radar and Tech-Fest while maintaining a near constant waterfall release of singles. Having witnessed the band live on numerous occasions, we can confirm the rumours and verify that each one of those live performances has been a truly immersive experience that borders on ritualistic, being both enthralling and captivating at the same time. That has been achieved as the quintet forge a sound that blends expressionist art, crushing soundscapes and paganism to carve out their own brand of innovative Folk Horror with hints of Black Metal, Post-Hardcore and Post-Metal. 2023 saw them reach critical mass with “The Weight Of It All“, a track that has surpassed 187k of Spotify streams alone and helped ensure their debut album “Aether” was placed in the long awaited, highly anticipated category. Produced by Sam Bloor (Graphic Nature, Black Coast, Dream State) the feeling that a nightmarish occult vision awaits is haunting and hard to escape…

Entering the store to which Patrick Bateman returns his videos, we browse the shelves to “Mother Of Moon“, the anticipation of a virgin sacrifice that continues the Forlorn narrative met by an introduction piece of Pagan ritual. The elders gather around the fire, pounding the war drums and chanting in meditative fashion, setting an almost ethereal tone before a careless whisper and an earth shattering down tuned chord of Thall origin. Its both a momentous and ominous moment that wipes the slate clean of the blood of pre-conception as “Creatress” rises from the poison well. Crushing riffs intertwine with eerie synths as Megan Jenkins paints pictures in both harsh whispers and achingly beautiful cleans, as ever playing the roles of both beauty and the beast at the same time. Her vocal range is nothing short of stunning, this single opening cut a showcase as she reaches demonic throat shredding levels of brutality long before the final moments. Building the momentum with spine juddering riffs and pummelling percussion “The Wailing” borders on seismic activity as the bass rumbles. Grooves rise to the surface with clever rhythmic interplay as Jenkins muses on bone eating demons, her delicate clean vocals underpinned by caustic moments with fantastic use of vocal layering.

As if the haunting eerie nuances within the tracks themselves weren’t enough, “Matrum Noctem” offers an interlude that tortures the mind like a bad acid trip and leaves you wondering who should be wearing the straight jacket. If you’ve heard of Americans Stoneside and in particular their cut “History Of Violence” then sonically there are some interesting comparisons, not to this track but to the album as a whole and it would be interesting to see what their vocalist Crane could come up with in collaboration with Forlorn. Wasting little time with an introduction, the hard hitting “Funeral Pyre” swiftly follows with bouncy DJent riffs beating the listener into submission as the momentum builds. Jenkins switches seamlessly between stunning clean singing and punishing harsh vocals as if it was nothing like a woman possessed and as if that wasn’t enough, some how she gives us a sing-a-long chorus. Inspired by the 1973 film “The Wickerman” the track lyrically explores fire as a means of divination. If you’re a fan of Humanity’s Last Breath then you’re going to love the Buster Odeholm inspired riffs on this one because they hit with such forceful power in a dance macabre that is nothing short of stunning.

Brooding in dark moods with lush, rich clean vocals “Keeper Of The Well” offers a moments respite before the guitars come into play with a satisfying crunch. Jenkins captures the sultry qualities of someone like Kidneythieves vocalist Free Dominguez to create something enchanting on this one but you know that at any second she is capable of switching to something vicious at any second. The twist in the tail of this one being fleeting Pagan chanting as the guitars fade out which sets the tone for “Veiled One“, an interlude piece set against the backdrop of a thunderstorm. Final cut “Spirit” concludes the epic majesty of “Aether” in sublime fashion by pushing the boundaries of the contrasts within the bands sound further. The melodic moments have been well thought through so as to allow the heavier parts pierce through the dark clouds like a blinding light. Those moments are so fierce that they leave your ears ringing, the musicianship to match the vision something that Forlorn have within them. A powerful statement piece of a record that continues the bands ascendency in dramatic and spellbinding fashion, you can’t help but wonder just how far it could take them [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Mother Of Moon
2. Creatress
3. The Wailing
4. Matrum Noctem
5. Funeral Pyre
6. Keeper Of The Well
7. Veiled One
8. Spirit

“Aether” by Forlorn is out 28th March 2025 via Church Road Records and is available over at bandcamp.