Band:	A Forest Of Stars
Album:	Beware The Sword You Cannot See
Style:	Atmospheric black metal
Release date:	February 27, 2015
A review by:	Auntie Sahar

Disc I
01. Drawing Down The Rain
02. Hive Mindless
03. A Blaze Of Hammers
04. Virtus Sola Invicta
05. Proboscis Master Versus The Powdered Seraphs
06. Pawn On The Universal Chessboard, Part I: Mindslide
07. Pawn On The Universal Chessboard, Part II: Have You Got A Light, Boy?
08. Pawn On The Universal Chessboard, Part III: Perdurabo
09. Pawn On The Universal Chessboard, Part IV: An Automaton Adrift
10. Pawn On The Universal Chessboard, Part V: Lowly Worm
11. Pawn On The Universal Chessboard, Part VI: Let There Be No Light

Disc II ["Valley Of Desolation" EP - Special Boxset Only]
01. Gestation
02. Catafalque Caravan Quandary
03. Plastic Patriarch Lynch Squad (Enduring December)

You know those people, somewhat pessimistic types, who say of music that "nothing is original anymore," and "everything's been done"? Well, they clearly haven't heard A Forest Of Stars yet, now have they?

All the trve earthworms should know the dilly with these British hooligans by now: Victorian England is their fascination, and they recreate their love for it both through their instrumentation and through their outlandish live performances. Beware The Sword You Cannot See, the fourth effort from this band that's now climbed to a septet, is the logical "next step" after its predecessor. Like A Showplay For Yesterdays, the music here continues to expand upon the more folky aspect of A Forest Of Stars. Bright and airy, it is both relaxing and at times very psychedelic, especially in regards to the massive six part "Pawn On The Universal Chessboard." As usual, the band have brought a goodie bag miles deep with surprises: it's a total labyrinth of sound here, and the occasional spoken word parts of Mr. Curse only make you feel even more like you're trapped in the band's surrealistic carnival ride.

While this album mostly sees A Forest Of Stars getting a lot more experimental, the band have certainly not forgotten their black metal roots either. It's nothing as dark or as sustained as the music on The Corpse Of Rebirth, but those brief, faster moments, such as on "Virtus Sola Invicta," or "Drawing Down The Rain" especially help to serve as a reminder that this band has been changing and evolving with their brand of black metal from the very beginning. The curious thing is that now, rather than their folk elements being structured around the black metal, the black metal now appears to serve more as a crescendo of sorts towards these folky moments reaching a climax, and it's an interesting transition to say the least.

Beware The Sword You Cannot See is not an easy album for a listener to digest. Like with Sigh, the sheer grandiosity of A Forest Of Stars would, under initial impressions, seem as though it would make for sloppy results. But once again, the band somehow manages to pull it all off, crafting yet another album that is brilliantly layered, paced incredibly well, and that displays a vast array of moods and emotions sure to satisfy a wide diversity of listeners. This band is definitely not slowing down anytime soon. And why should they, when they're having this much fun?

Go have that Proboscis Master impart knowledge unto thee.