DIY in the truest sense of the word, "Fornskog" is one of the solo projects run and operated by local musician (and good friend of mine) Phil Feiss. Self recorded, self produced, and self sufficient, Phil plays every instrument and screams every single howl of this amazing and atmospheric black metal project. Its clear even after one listen that this is powerful and driven music.
The music is like a glance into a soul, intricate and complicated with overpowering themes and beliefs. At times as calming as a walk through the woods and at other times as harsh as winter cold, Fornskog is music to immerse yourself in. To lose yourself to. Grinding hatred contrasts with soothing peace, walls of noise crash upon the framework of gentle guitar, and it all comes down too the haunting howls that Phil supplies on most songs. This is seriously incredible music. It's true, honest, and dark. I don't even want to compare it with other bands, so I will simply describe it as grinding black metal with folk and traces of ambience. But really, those are just labels; Listen for yourself to figure it out!
Phil's "fuck the industry" stance lends itself to the innate truth of his music, clear in the fact that he literally does everything himself from promotion to instrumentation. Hell, he even objects to the inevitable advertising that every band does in the comments section of a myspace page. I was even lucky enough to be supplied with the entire unreleased (and only recently mastered!) new Fornskog EP to share as a free download by Phil himself, further proving that the music of Fornskog is a statement of artistry rather then a tool of profit or gimmickry. Hopefully Phil takes it upon himself to assemble a live line-up but a part of me hopes it stays this personal! It's a refreshing blast of air to see such a real musician making his own impact, without a care for what others think.
Check out the Fornkog myspace here!
Fornskog - "Reflections of the Autumnal Wane" EP
1. "Wane of Sowilo"
2. "The Great Autumn"
3. "Voices of the Old Winds (Murmurs of Gnosis Lost)"
4. "Where Darkness is Lord and Death the Beginning (Inquisition Cover)"
5. "Outtro"
DL Link here!
