Review of In the Woods… “Otra” [Prophecy Productions]

Let’s go in the woods for a trip through musical genres and mood, discussions on society and nature. It’s a perpetually changing album, where you don’t know what to expect, but it’s something truly special.

We begin our exploration with “The Things You Shouldn’t Know”, a gentle ballad that suddenly turns heavier, with electric riffs and raspy growls. I guess you could label this as a melodic black metal song, or a heavier folk song, but the heavier parts show some very skilled guitar playing and its softer parts are really soothing, and the mix of genres feels completely natural.

It’s just as natural on other tracks. “The Crimson Crown” begins with another ballad but it brings the heavy, groovy riffs very quickly, and a mix of anguished singing and raspy growls from Bernt Fjellestad. His harsh vocals are the kind of typical grunts and high shrieks that are hard to compare to anyone in particular, because there are many other vocalists who sound like that. His singing voice has an easily recognizable tone that may remind you of many other singers, but not completely. Either way, it sounds very soft and soothing.

We get more melodic, energetic, mysterious and well-played guitar riffs on “A Misrepresentation of I”, followed by deep growls and low-pitched singing. There’s also a pretty cool part where Brent vocalizes with the same melody as the guitar on the intro. “The Kiss and the Lie” feels softer and more melancholic, until it brings in the growls and an angrier tone. But the riffs keep a similar melancholic melody in the background, and the guitar solo has a rather catchy melody.

Contrast that with the heavy, eerie riffs of “Let me Sing” and its deeper, raspy singing. This track lets Bernt sing indeed, in his lower register with more despair than ever. He brings some of his catchiest melodies on the next track, “Come All Ye Sinners”, where he calls over all the sinners of the world in an instantly catchy hook, over an instrumental that turns from a nice folk ballad to a furious black metal track, with some catchy groovy riffs here and there. This time, he sings with the deep, dramatic voice of a goth/doom metal singer, except when he growls the chorus at the end. And finally, “The Wandering Deity” is a melancholic ballad with heavy riffs and gritty growls, the album in a nutshell.

This was a musical exploration I really enjoyed. It’s the kind of melodic/unclassifiable black metal albums I tend to go for. It has all the things I like about that kind of album, like a very varied sound that can be compared to many artists and styles, some interesting melodies and a sometimes sweet and soothing, sometimes angry tone. Those songs are a set of creative and complex pieces of music, both in terms of instrumentation and lyrics. If you’re looking for a very well-done, and completely unique album, go listen to this.

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