Last year, folk metal was on a run the likes of which the genre hasn’t seen for quite some time and likely will not for some years to come. Despite the success it had, there were still a few names that missed out on all the fun, but it’s only a matter of time before we would be met with the return of many of the greats that still have so much more to say. It’s been three years since their last offering and seven since their previous full-length album, and it is more than time for Finsterforst to return to us. Allowing the genre to continue on in glory in a way that only they can deliver, Finsterforst’s sixth album is indicative of the band’s talent and illustrious reputation.
When you’ve been around for as long as Finsterforst, it’s only natural that after almost two decades you’ve made a real name for yourself. However, time has shown over and over again that Finsterforst does anything but play by conventional rules and deliver unto us experiences that fall squarely into our normal perception of genre boundaries. Constantly challenging both themselves and their devoted listeners, it’s in the vast expanse of their sixth album, “Still”, that we see the act once again take us on an excursion the likes of which you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the whole of the underground. Throughout “Still”, we see Finsterforst return to us in impeccable form. Bolstered by their refined arsenal of immeasurably diverse songwriting, intoxicating riffs spread across engrossing atmospheres, and a sense of adventure that ventures well beyond the purview of style and theme, it’s in every step along the way of this nearly 78-minute epic that we’re able to witness what’s destined to become both another magnificent entry in the growing catalog of Finsterforst’s mastery as well as one of the year’s most compelling works of the genre. Finsterforst once again has it all with “Still” being the culmination of what this act has been building over the years. Whether or not this is the best work from the band I will leave for another day, but it’s made tremendously obvious time after time that this record is something that absolutely demands your attention, investigation, and eventual respect for what it achieves.
Whatever you come here for, Finsterforst delivers it in splendid quality. Be it a 24-minute monolithic track, tasteful covers of both Immortal and Pink Floyd, or something that meanders back and forth between genres in the trademark style of Finsterforst, “Still” stands incredibly tall as a feat of strength that this band should wear like a badge on their chests. If nothing else, this record showcases, to a magnificent degree, the talent and passion that still resides in this long-established name even decades after their first steps.
“Still” releases on July 31st via AOP Records!
LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Still” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Finsterforst on Facebook here.
FOLLOW Finsterforst on Instagram here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO4UgSbRQi8