The Foreshadowing - Second World - review
The Foreshadowing - Second World - review
Tracklist
01. Havoc02. Outcast
03. The Forsaken Son
04. Second World
05. Aftermaths
06. Ground Zero
07. Reverie Is A Tyrant
08. Colonies
09. Noli Timere
10. Friends Of Pain
A review by
KwonVerge May 01, 2012
The Foreshadowing with Second World accomplish utter harmony in terms of instrumentation/songwriting. They step upon the golden chain of symmetry, but yet again a well-conceived and well-executed album can't convince the listener if the band doesn't pour their heart and soul to the compositions; especially when we're talking about atmospheric gothic/doom metal. The music relies upon two major factors, 1) the basic instrumentation which forges the scenery and the overall ambiance and 2) the vocal interpretation which revives the lyrics and delivers another dimension to the sound spectrum. The third secret factor is the divine blending of the aforementioned in an ideal manner that secures one's parameter from the other while at the same time flowing in harmony. Well, my dear friends, The Foreshadowing succeed in every single aspect in any way you see it. They even show respect to the title of the album with a representative and magnificent cover artwork drowning in shades of scarlet as it depicts the sound of Second World seen through the recognizable style of Travis Smith.
Marco Benevento's voice is a river of emotion; not only does he pace with the flow of the compositions, he also expresses himself according to the depth of the sound. The way he interprets is crystalline and precise, sentimental and ever-flowing and whether he paces with the influx, sounding tranquil or rougher (like on the devouring "The Forsaken Son"), or finds himself in enormous depths or to the surface he always succeeds depicting the sense of drowning or floating. Heart-rending, passionate or intense, he's always highly expressive and his voice is almost dancing to the pace of the compositions. One shouldn't forget the few but to the point chanting vocals that enrich the atmosphere even more ("Havoc", "Noli Timere"). The guitars accompany endlessly Marco's interpretation and overrun the compositions as if they were waves, ranging from melancholic leads to more dynamic riffing and from devastating melodies to seductive acoustic chords. A strong card concerning The Foreshadowing's sound has to be the keyboards that caress gently the basic song structure, adorning the compositions with fragile surrounding soundscapes that gently veil the ambiance; always in a precise manner, without exaggerating yet shining through their simplicity. The rhythm section sets the ideal foundation that holds tight the compositions generating this way the required pulse and groove that won't leave empty spaces in the sound ensemble of The Foreshadowing. Needless to say that the production plays an important role in the way Second World sounds, granting an echoing essence to any instrument or vocal part, which gives the album a floating aesthetic, as if it was recorded on celestial "soil".
Second World is one of those albums that should be cherished as one from the very first second to the very last, until the album starts spinning once again, enriching your world inside the four walls of your room. After all, as the album flows you'll witness some sort of connection between the tracks making Second World breathe as an entity.
Days Of Nothing was ground zero, the arch dreaming, Oionos the signs on the horizon; Second World is what the title says, a brand new universe where flowers bloom nightmares and dreams embrace beauty as they fall asleep entwined.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 10 |
Comments
Comments:
14
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Posts: 2466
Gave it 2 more listens and I'm still not as impressed as I thought I'd be, or as much as everyone else seems to. I dunno, Second World just sounds a bit bland compared to the other two albums, without too many memorable moments, and the overall feeling of "meh"... I won't be giving up on it just yet, though.
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Posts: 677
I really need to listen to this. The hype is insane.
---- My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
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Posts: 3099
You don't see reviews like that very often, does the album justice. 'Floating aesthetic'- that there is exactly what I thought about it, very other worldly as you say. Though sometimes I can't help feeling it gets just a bit too 'floaty' if you know what I mean, you sort of drift off into momentary lapses where your attention can't seem to focus. But these are only brief and it doesn't detract all that much from the overall feeling in the music. 'Ground Zero' is frankly one of the greatest Gothic metal tracks I've ever heard.
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Posts: 677 Written by R'Vannith on 02.05.2012 at 03:00 Aye. I always liked DerRozzengarten since I read his Septicflesh reviews. He always does a good job even though his work tends to get a bit wordy. On my third listen straight so far and I must say this might be the best this year so far, which is saying a lot. Still in contention, but I know it'll land in my top three at the very least.
---- My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
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Posts: 1435
Very well written review. I never heard of these guys before, but I'm definitely going to check this out. This makes me particularly thrilled for I have been in a quest of finding Doom bands like these the last few months. This may well be another nice find, and judging by the discussion here, I should also check their other albums. Thanks for sharing.
---- It is humanity who must pay homage to the greatness of the Universe... not the Universe to the human narcissism. 
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Posts: 6212
Is the whole album similar to the title track which is boring as hell? Not to mention that the vocalist sounds like a cheapened version of Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode 
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Posts: 702
I personally prefer this one to the previous albums... it's a more mature, accomplished effort. I can see why people might not like Marco's interpretation, but he is the one who makes this band so recognizable... he was great in How Like A winter too...
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Posts: 673
I haven't listened to this album yet, but this review makes me want to definitely check it out.
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Posts: 240
Epic and amazing album needs an epic, somehow poetic review! Good job Der!
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Posts: 40071
Review is too long and fluffy, sorry, doesn't get the facts (?) across
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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