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Finsterforst's last album, Rastlos, was a phenomenal Epic album in the Summoning mold so I was pretty excited when their latest, Mach dich Frei showed up in my review queue. From what I read, Rastlos wasn't all that similar to Finsterforst's previous works and that, combined with the rather different direction of the artwork, had me a bit concerned. On the surface, if you liked Rastlos, Finsterforst keeps the atmospheric, Epic Heavy Metal rolling with songs like "Schicksals End" and "Finsterforst." Both are lengthy and make use of multiple tempos and instruments to create varying atmospheres and emotions. The vocals are more a mix of harsh and clean than anything on Rastlos but are still enjoyable. Where Mach dich Frei departs from its predecessor is in the other songs on the album. The clean vocals are much more prevalent and the non-traditional instruments, like flutes, brass and accordions, are given a larger share of the spotlight. So while the beginning and end of Mach dich Frei (where you'll find "Schicksals End" and "Finsterforst") is reminiscent of Summoning, the middle of the album is much more in the vein of Vintersorg or Falkenbach. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that but if you were expecting/hoping for another Rastlos you're only going to be partly rewarded. I don't mind Mach dich Frei but found it nowhere near as engaging as Rastlos and at 23+ minutes the song "Finsterforst" is a real load to power through. If you like Folk/Black Metal Mach dich Frei is solid but even Finsterforst can, and has, done it better.