EYE OF MELIAN – Forest of Forgetting – review – symphonic folk rock

EYE OF MELIAN – Forest of Forgetting – review
Napalm Records

Right. Did you buy “Legends Of Light” when it came out a few years back? Did you like it? Then you’re going to like this as it does not change anything whatsoever. Not one iota. It is the same as the first album but with different songs.

They’re named after a singing spirit from Tolkien’s Middle Earth, you know. I don’t know this as I’ve never read the book, only seen the first film, something which resulted in me firing several staff members, whose idea it was too go to the pictures.

If you are new to the Eye of Melian game, they feature members of Delain, Auri, and Altamullan Road (I’ve never forgiven the world for their one album only history) with Martijn Westerholt on keys and orchestral arrangements, Johanna Kurkela on vocals and violin, Robin La Joy on backing vocals and lyrics, and Mikko P Mustonen on keys and orchestral arrangements. There are also a couple of guests with Troy Donockley of Nightwish/Auri on flute and Uilleann pipes, and Patty Gurdy hurdy-gurdying. Saw that Auri on tour. They were incredible.

So, what are you getting. Soothing, ethereal, melancholic, cinematic songs with luscious arrangements. It really is lovely. Granted, I sometimes struggle to notice when one song ends and another begins, but I’m an old man, huddled by the fire, lamenting a failed life. That said, I do have favourites. ‘Blackthorn Winter’ was a pre-release single, so it had already embedded its delicious melody. If I remember, the video will be down below. ‘Dawns of Avatars’ has some fantastic fiddling, with Mr Donockley and Ms Gurdy doing their thing. Although, I, personally, myself think that the ‘The Buried Well’ is the out and out winner. That really does belong in a Witchy Game of the Seven Kings type film.

I don’t care for the Bruce Dickinson cover which ends the main album but, presumably, they thought it was a good idea. And they’re actual musicians who know about music and stuff. I didn’t like the original either. So. I’ve got the version that comes with a ‘bonus’ CD of instrumentals, but only because there wasn’t a CD version that didn’t have a ‘bonus’ CD of instrumentals. God, I hate these things. Look, mate, we know you’ve just taken the vocal track off. It’s not clever and no-one has ever played it more than once. Ever.

Regardless, it’s a wonderful record which I will play when I’m not playing “Legends Of Light”.

Eye of Melian have a presence on the internet. You can probably buy it there, although the Evil Amazonian Empire have it as well.

Here is the video that I said would be here if I remembered to embed the video;