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It's been six years since Dark Forest (the Canadian one) graced us with Aurora Borealis, so I was stoked to see they had a new one out. For those unfamiliar, this band plays sweeping, epic Pagan/Black Metal with such a Euro sound you would swear they were Belgian or Dutch or something.

I liked their last album a lot, and this one is just as good, and in places even better. Obvious album highlight is "Like Towers They Reach to the Sky" with its massive atmosphere and haunting melodies. The recording is murky yet lucid, the guitarwork is agile and painfully tasty, and the vocals, while mixed low, complement the mood perfectly. Dark Forest are one of the few BM bands who can be deeply melodic without losing a grim, expansive atmosphere that speaks of misty valleys and cold forest nights. A splendid album.