Early on in my reviewing career, I had the honor of covering Descent of the Serpent, the sophomore record from British metal sub-genre benders Forged in Black. I was enamored by the interesting songwriting on display on that record, and I was equally impressed by the incredibly diverse vocal performance by singer Chris Storozynski. This combo of songcraft and vocals reminded me at times of classic metal bands like Candlemass, Judas Priest, and Metallica, but at other times, the album veered into modern groove metal territory. It was an eclectic mixture for sure, but it felt like taking a walk down my own personal metal memory lane. Even way back then, I knew that I would be anxiously awaiting the album’s follow-up, wondering if Forged in Black could hone their diverse influences into something truly great. Fast forward four-plus years, and a promo bearing the band’s name and featuring a subterranean Terminator blacksmith on the cover suddenly appears in the promo bin. My excitement can barely be contained.
For better and worse, very little has changed in the Forged in Black camp since Descent of the Serpents. New album Lightning in the Ashes still finds the band mixing epic doom into their thrashy traditional metal, and yes, there are still a few growled groove metal vocal parts. Single “Dusk Breather” shows Forged in Black playing to their strengths. A doomy intro gives way to a thrashy main riff, and the two styles duel back and forth for the majority of the song. Storozynski effortlessly moves from an incredible croon to shouts and growls throughout the track. He’s really one of the most fascinating active vocalists in my book, and he generally impresses me no matter what he’s doing.
Forged in Black do a lot of things, and they do most of those things really well. “War Torn Skull” is a bona fide thrasher with a brief flamenco passage that leads into a grooving breakdown, while “Brother’s Keeper” sounds like a long-lost Candlemass/Solitude Aeturnus collab. Outstanding closer “Detonation Ritual” shows how well the band can create and sustain an epic atmosphere, and the title track sees them aptly channeling a doomier Judas Priest. “Chains of the Damned” is such an interesting track, so much so that it’s difficult to describe. Progressive in nature, the song moves from trad, to doom, to thrash, features a solo section that would fight right in on Megadeth’s Rust in Piece, then briefly moves into a Machine Head-meets-King Diamond moment. It’s probably the most “Forged in Black” song here, and I’m all about it.
But at the end of the day, Lightning in the Ashes lacks the growth and refinement that I was hoping for/expecting after Descent of the Serpent. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good album and a fun listen, but the issues that come with such an eccentric mix of styles are still present four years later. At this point, I think the band might be better off abandoning the groove/core shouts as they sometimes clash a bit with Forged in Black’s primarily traditional stylings. Those traditional epic doom/thrash elements account for most of the album’s highlights anyway. The mix feels like it could use a little boost to the guitar and drum volume. They feel a bit quiet at times and that somewhat reduces the potential impact of the songs. Speaking of songs, “Building a Beast” feels a bit cheesy and unnecessary, but the album is otherwise really solid. And tracks like the title track, “Dusk Breather,” “Chains of the Damned,” “Brother’s Keeper,” and “Detonation Ritual” show that Forged in Black have the potential to eventually craft something godlike.
Lightning in the Ashes isn’t the world-beater that I was hoping for, but it’s another quality offering from a band that I respect immensely. I truly do expect Forged in Black to put all the pieces together one of these days, and when they do, the metalverse will take notice.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Fighter Records
Websites: forgedinblack.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/forgedinblacks
Releases Worldwide: June 20th, 2023
