Tannenhochforst
The cover seems to be of an typical Black Metal album and you could tend to put the album back aside, but wait! First of all, an album named Tannenhochforst (translated something like fir forest) should be allowed to have such an artwork and after that there’s no Black Metal on this piece of art. If you watch closer, you will inevitably begin to dream, but the cover isn’t the only thing that will seduce you to dreams.
But first some facts: There are seven tracks on Tannenhochforst with a total playing time of 40:38. Stylistically its all about ambient/neoclassic music and it’s done by Christoph Ziegler of Vinterriket.
According to the instrumentation it can be compared with Nachtreich and Blakagir, although its a lot calmer. The main part is compound by acoustic guitars and piano, paired with calm drums and sometimes with strings.
The lyrics are telling about a journey through a snow covered forest and general impressions of this landscape. The interaction of vocals, content and instrumentation tends to seduce you to sleep, at least if you’re really going to devote yourself to the created atmosphere. If you did so, you can’t possibly release yourself very quickly, among other things because the production is really clean and smooth.
This atmosphere is rarely broken, for instance through bumpy transitions, but if you’re really going to let yourself be seduced to dream this might not be so harsh. The composition is, more or less, monotonous and the melodies might be quite similar. If that’s good or bad depends to your point of view. If you’re dreaming it really supports the atmosphere and maintains, that you can linger over dreams, since you won’t need to be very attentive because of new impressions. But if you’re going to pay your full attention to the music and to the songs, the album might be boring very quickly, so it’s up to you if it’s good or bad.
Conclusion:
Tannenhochforst creates a wonderful atmosphere using a preferable narrative structure. If you’re going to devote yourself to this album it’s going to enchain you. Although it’s monotonous structure may not thrill everybody, those, who are into neoclassical/ambient music should love it. It’s seldom, that an album is so monolithic!
Rating: 90/100
Tracklist:
- Morgenstunden
- Windstille
- Sonnenhall
- Dezemberabend
- Baumgespenster
- Waldzauber
- Abschiedsfeuer
