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Forodren is a one-man Depressive Suicidal Black Metal band from Canada that's obscure enough to not even have a Metal Archives page despite apparently being around since 2014, though that may be due to the fact this is their first official EP since then. Anyone familiar with the style will have a good idea of what this is about: gloomy, mid-paced songs about inner suffering and outer desolation with heavily distorted vocals and moody guitar work. This kind of thing lives or dies on whether or not it can wrap you up in its mood, for done poorly this stuff can come across as whiney rather than depressive and, admittedly, the opening track "Life Isn't Real" had me worried this would be the former on account of its strong blackgaze leanings and horrible chorus with god-awful clean vocals that would belong in some Z-rate emo band instead of a proper metal release. Thankfully, they don't show up again and we instead get to focus on the rather strong riff writing and soaring lead work that's capable of being misanthropic as well as melancholic, in no small part due to a guitar sound that actually has some teeth to it. The production helps this a lot, being expansive enough to let the songs breathe while still being low-fi and oppressive, and the drumming and bass work is also good enough to warrant listening to, as they actually add complexity and atmosphere to the songs rather than just simply existing in the background as they do for a lot of bands. Tracks like "Enlightenment Through Darkness" and the killer "We Are the Blacksmiths" are stellar examples of what DSBM is all about, and if they keep it up, Forodren may well become a big fish in what has always been a relatively small pond. Worth checking out.