{"id":21136,"date":"2014-08-06T00:01:06","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T00:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=21136"},"modified":"2014-08-06T12:19:49","modified_gmt":"2014-08-06T12:19:49","slug":"album-review-stryvigor-forgotten-by-ages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-stryvigor-forgotten-by-ages\/","title":{"rendered":"STRYVIGOR – Forgotten By Ages (2014) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

STRYVIGOR
Forgotten By Ages<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nSvarga Music (2014)<\/span>
Rating: 7.5\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ukrainian metallers Stryvigor was formed in 2012 as the brainchild of guitarist Khladogard and vocalist Dusk. The band is named after an old river that runs through the Carpathian Mountains, and with this debut work the band has tried to recreate those icy atmospheres. <\/p>\n

Just one glance at the cover and a quick step into the introduction \u2018In The Icy Embrace Of North\u2019, and I\u2019m at one with nature; perched on a snow-capped hillside, I can hear the nocturnal bird-life squawk and the hidden wolves howl into the night.<\/p>\n

As a shudder runs down my spine I prepare myself for the ensuing strains of \u2018Mysteries Of Darkness\u2019, and can safely say that this is rapid-fire black metal that evokes images of bewildering blizzards, frost-laced river banks, babbling brooks and stark, black trees. Delivered with cosmic sincerity through a barrage of well-orchestrated synths, pristine white blasts of percussion, rugged vocal rasps and chilly gasps, this is melancholic black metal as it should be. <\/p>\n

Bracing the freezing wind and under the golden hue of a fat wintry moon, Forgotten By Ages<\/em> is constructed of both pace and eerie atmosphere. And deep within the ravines cut deep by the brisk guitar work there is that stream of melody, which runs deep within those frosted valleys. The band finds a happy medium between those grating rhythms and slower tempo passages. This is extremely accessible black metal, a soundtrack of European pride, folklore and hope.<\/p>\n

As the drums of \u2018Wherever The Stars\u2026\u2019 rattle and cause those icicles to cascade from the cavernous ceiling, I\u2019m reminded that in the modern age there is still room for this type of cold-hearted black metal, and I\u2019m certainly open to the interjection of synths when they are used correctly. \u2018Wherever The Stars…\u2019 is a perfect example of how a faster backbeat sits well with a melodic riff and equally harmonious synth injection. Vocally, the style is instant too and rarely grates as Dusk provides an earthy, gritty sneer that is decipherable within the mists of the epic structures. <\/p>\n

\u2018Wings Of Sorrow\u2019 continues that grandiose theme, and incorporates some subtle touches with the tip-toe keyboard effects. \u2018Memory Of Ages\u2019 opts for a harsher approach and is channelled through a more vigorous drum and guitar workout, while \u2018By Paths Of Universe\u2019 has a primal edge and cuts deep with that sturdy drum clatter and distant riff gleam. Stryvigor manage to keep the listener enthralled throughout, right through the heart of the mid-tempo slog of \u2018To Heroes\u2019 and the closing title track which stands as a two-minute mystical instrumental. <\/p>\n

Forgotten By Ages<\/em> is an effective debut composition that will have you dreaming of winter even through those sweltering months of summer.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STRYVIGORForgotten By Ages Svarga Music (2014)Rating: 7.5\/10 Ukrainian metallers Stryvigor was formed in 2012 as the brainchild of guitarist Khladogard and vocalist Dusk. The band is named after an old river that runs through the Carpathian Mountains, and with this debut work the band has tried to recreate those icy atmospheres. Just one glance at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1366],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-stryvigor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21136"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21140,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21136\/revisions\/21140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}