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Finsterforst - Mach Dich Frei review



Reviewer:
8.5

115 users:
8.21
Band: Finsterforst
Album: Mach Dich Frei
Style: Pagan folk metal
Release date: January 23, 2015
Guest review by: swatata


01. Abfahrt
02. Schicksals End'
03. Zeit Für Hass
04. Im Auge Des Sturms
05. Mach Dich Frei!
06. Mann Gegen Mensch
07. Reise Zum..
08. Finsterforst

Being a fan of some bands that have symphonic elements in them, I had to listen to the album Finsterforst came into 2015 with, titled Mach Dich Frei. With all lyrics in German I had a bit of trouble understanding their meaning but the musical part, splendidly, made me a bit emotional.

The album overall, compared to their last work, is not so different. A huge thing was that the use of the brass sections and the other symphonic pieces is incredible. Maybe a better mastering would have convinced me to give it a higher score on the "production" grade. It feels as if some of the tracks on certain instruments were thrown into the songs without being completely thought about. Yet again, the sounding is good enough for such a band.

Very nice combined grunts and clean vocals as well. "Mach Dich Frei", the title song of the album, is very catchy and makes you sing the bridge and chorus after a few listens. It just gets in your head and doesn't want to come out.

An amazing finish to this album is the song "Finsterforst" which is a huge 25 minute piece of music, very well designed but still, way too long to be listened to often. I am not personally a fan of the 15+ minute songs, but if good, they are worth a few spins before they get way too long to be heard often.

Seems like the Germans set the bar a bit too-high for their next work of art, but if they can deliver something like this again, it certainly gives them credit. Favorite tracks I consider are "Schicksals End", "Mach Dich Frei" and the instrumental piece "Reise Zum.."


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 6

Written by swatata | 06.08.2015




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Staff review by
Windrider
Rating:
8.1
It seems common now that the pagan genre directs its view onto modern themes and problems. The most popular examples include Varg or Equilibrium. And while mentioning those two, it's most convenient to change topic to the new Finsterforst album, which is best described by a mixture of the aforementioned bands. Mach Dich Frei is the fourth studio album of the neo-pagan warriors from the black forest, after which the band is named. And indeed, it is a worthy one.

Read more ››
published 19.02.2015 | Comments (5)



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