Forged In Black // Forged In Black - Remastered MMXXIV // Album Review

Forged In Black’s behemoth self-titled debut album is set to be released in a remastered format to celebrate their fifteenth year creating savage music, this is a joy to behold and sounds even better than when it was first unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

Opening with an ominous instrumental that paves the way for sheer brutality, firstly in the form of “Reins Of Sorrow” which opens with a blistering riff and ear-splitting scream that slows to a funky grind with a heavy bass and killer drum beat, the guitar work throughout the track, between the riffs and solos, is excellent and paired with Storozynski’s class vocals that go from high pitched to guttural lows you have a brilliant track.

“Blood Stained Is The Promise” is another beast that has a savage bouncing rhythm, much like an Iron Maiden track, but heavy as hell; the bass is one of the main reasons for this as it rumbles and thumps throughout the track ably assisted by some thunderous drumming, again the guitars are off the page and the solo midway through is deadly, Storozynski is on top form again as he screams and snarls his way through the song, an instant classic. “Children Of The Flames” is a good bit heavier with an edgier feel to it, the riffs are sharper and the bass deeper while the pounding drums shake the foundations, Storozynski is like a man possessed and puts in a serious shift, this is a personal favourite, one of the best on the album. “Accusations Of The Innocent” is a bass-led monster that has Storozynski favouring a higher vocal range that combines nicely with the guitars, which are amazing riffs and my God the solo is out of this world, a cracking track.

The heavy intense opening to “The Rapture” proves the band are not afraid to change it up by going lower tone-wise but still managing to keep the high tempo, some great guitar and vocal combinations as the bass and drums create a heavy rhythm, killer track. “The Silenced Messenger” is of a similar style; down tuned with a much lower key, Storozynski tends to keep his vocals on a lower range for the most part and it adds to the ominous feel of the track. “Fortify Or Die” is an absolute banger, from the opening refrains to the closing echos this is just a masterpiece, a slow opening leads to a frantic riff and savage roar from Storozynski to the backdrop of a massive drum and bass beat that gives the track a kicking rhythm that runs throughout while the tradeoff between the clean and screamed vocals is epic, the guitars are sublime and elevate the track, the epitome of heavy metal. “The All Seeing Eye” has the unenviable task of trying to keep up with its predecessor and does a good job of it too, a powerful track that keeps the intensity high with a thumping drum and bass beat with some killer guitars, the tempo is slowed slightly but that only serves to accentuate the heaviness even more, monster track.

The intro to “The Master In Me” is worth the price of admission alone. You’d be forgiven for thinking it is an instrumental as it goes on for nearly a minute but when Storozynski jumps in business picks up, the drums and guitars are frantic as the bass booms the is a non-stop metal fest and you’ll love it. The title track “Forged In Black” closes the original album and is another white knuckle ride that has the guitars and bass playing off one another backed up by a monster drum beat and Storozynski’s full-on vocals, an excellent way to finish the album. As this is a remastered issue there are two bonus tracks from eps back in 2013 and 2014, “The Tide” and “The Exodus” respectively, a nice little extra to celebrate fifteen years of crushing British Metal.

FORGED IN BLACK MMXXIV is out now via Fighter Records.

Review: Conor