Romances

Let's get something straight first. Other reviewers have noted how "beautiful" the classical interludes are on this album. There's a good reason for that. They were written by Chopin, one of the finest Romantic composers the world has known. So zero credit to Mystic Forest for that.

Now, I love Chopin, but I don't really want to hear it spliced in between black metal tracks. Not that it doesn't work - in fact it contrasts quite well with Mystic Forest's romantically tinged melodic black metal - but I value originality over plagiarism.

The original music is not bad. Mystic Forest's style is fairly original with its focus around the lead guitars. The vocals are well back in the mix, and it's the lead guitars that provide the lyrical force here. They're not flashy, but emotive and restrained leads/solos which convey well the themes of love and loss. The keys are fairly prominent too, as one would imagine of such a style of BM, but not overpowering.

"Coupable de Tous Les Péchés" is the strongest cut on this album, marked by an accordion melody which evokes with melancholy the sounds of Paris. It's evident that Mystic Forest know where their strengths lie too, because this song opens the album. The problem is that everything that follows sounds similar, but weaker, less memorable. Nevertheless it remains an enjoyable listen if you're in the mood for this sort of thing.

I don't deduct points of the use of Chopin, since it does flow quite well, but they don't gain points either. I would rather hear a failed attempt at originality that a competent attempt at adaptation.

I'd been browsing on 235 one day and I came across this band. After some searching, I found a couple of songs off "Waltz In The Midst Of Trees" and I was really digging them. Some time went by, and when I had the money, I couldn't find that album, so I chose "Romances" instead. Boy, was I glad I got that!

The guitar tone, the accordion and the piano all together in this album create a truly astounding tone and the way the instruments are composed evoke a great atmosphere. Now by great I don't mean upbeat or giddy, I mean that I enjoy the atmosphere in general. It has a dark, yet very melodic tone. At first, the guitars might sound a little too harsh, or at least I thought, but the sound slowly grew on me.

Another great aspect of this album is the piano excerpts at the end of each song. That mixed with the ambient effects in the background create a beautiful melody that is contrary to the actual song but makes it sound even more great.

I can safely say that Mystic Forest's "Romances" is one of my all time favorite albums. A concoction of piano, black metal riffage, accordion create a fantastic sound that can only be appreciated by a true fan of metal.

Note: I guess that KTB would like my head hanged in a pine for this...
Mystic Forest is, or at least it seems to be a very classical influenced black metal act, very melodic and appreciated. Man, it really pisses me off. I could and I liked Epheles a fucking lot, but THIS is horrifyingly classical. I would have had no objection on the influence... Until I heard those keyboards. Just give a listen to that shit, Si Le Bois Pouvait Parler. The keyboards have a key role in this stuff, but they often bring to mind the fucking Rhapsody chansonette dreamful dummy sound. And it does not fit the "black metal" label at all. The drums are very well produced, congratulations, with varied rhythms. The leads are done the right way, but the vocals did simply not succeed in hooking me. They are kinda boring and left behind, unconvincing.
The riffs also are not amongst the most original, bearing several classical shit, but getting monotonous and cycling around pretty similar notes. The weird shit is that the music as a whole might get really annoying. Why? Because of that loud production, but still foggy because it melts the instruments together in an unpleasant way. After listening to this, I felt like I had eaten ten dozens of french sugar coated cheese. So if you are Jerry Mouse's cousin and you don't have any black diabet, get this.

Holy. Fucking. Shit. I just found this album a week ago. I expected it to be excellent (just like every other Mystic Forest album), but what I got was the best album that was released last year. This also has to be one of the best albums ever released, not matter what the genre is, no matter WHAT. THIS is beauty.

If you've never heard Mystic Forest before, lemme tell you what to expect. They play extremely romantic and melancholic black metal, which contains the biggest classical influence i've ever had the pleasure of hearing in black metal, or even in metal period. The keyboards are pure classical pieces. Take a listen to the outro, "Un Dernier Supplice", and you'll probably be crying because it's so fucking beautiful. Believe me, it's that fucking good.

This album also proves that Mystic Forest can be epic as hell. I'd never heard flutes or stuff like that in other Mystic Forest releases, but this one uses flutes, without abusing their use or using them too much. BUT it doesn't end there, of course. This album has amazing riffs, and they're not too tremolo-ish at all. They're unique, melodic, and as I already mentionned, melancholic.

I've come to the conclusion that anyone who likes classical music in any way will enjoy this for sure. I'm still literally crying over this album. Do whatever you can to get your hands on this masterpiece.