Forlorn / Hybernation
Album: Hybernation   Collection:General
Artist:Forlorn   Added:Apr 2003
Label:Napalm Records America  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2003-05-19 Pull Date: 2003-07-21 Charts: Loud

Recent Airplay
1. Feb 23, 2005: The Sun Never Sets On Cool
Agony Defiled

Album Review
Orges Beqiri
Reviewed 2003-04-22
Forlorn – Hybernation (Napalm Records)
Epic black metal. Except that they were going for a “futuristic” sound. Which means that there’s a shitload of fucking keyboards which succeed in one thing and one thing only: making this a very un-metal album. This sounds like crap. The guitars are mixed waaaaaaaaay back and they’re practically inaudible and have no bite/crunch/power. The drums sound tiny. Tiny, tinny drums played by a weak 10 year old (which sucks ‘cause I can still tell the guy is playing some wicked rhythms). There is no bass as far as I could tell. The only thing that’s clear in the mix is the keyboards and the annoying, monotonous rasp of the vocalist, which is neither extreme nor interesting. Therefore, the final result comes off sounding like an unusual industrial-gothic mix with danceable beats. Double plus uncool. And their promo package dares compare these guys with Satyricon. Pffffffft. Are they even listening to the same fucking CD? That being said, this album does succeed in creating some interesting dark moods and works well as dark ambient stuff, I guess. The melodies created by the keyboards are kinda catchy at times, but I just can’t get over the lack of any real metal instruments. However, there is some hope as the band has announced they will be getting rid of their keyboard player and the next album will be guitar-based. Care.

Recommended Tracks:
1) Good intro, and a good example of why the rest of the album sucks, because the keyboards in the intro are ever-present throughout the whole thing. Mild guitar solos.
4) Finally the drums and guitar are allowed some room to breathe and that makes this the best song on here. Still not great, but bearable and it could’ve been much better with a better vocalist and better production values. Ends with a spiffy little run and some nice melodic guitar.
6) Title track is also likable. Cool intro and good lyrics. Outro is similar to track 4.

VERDICT: This is not an “astonishing” or “highly memorable” “opus”, but it’s got a few moments where I can dig what they’re trying to do.

Track Listing
1. Ether Inside   5. Cubes
2. Grow City   6. Hypernation
3. Stigmata Damnation   7. Abuse
4. Agony Defiled   8. Disintegration
  9. Silent Demise