BLANK FOREST

Blank Forest began life in Udine in 2012 on the initiative of Luca Moreale (guitar, vocals) and Valerio Simonini (keyboards) with the aim of creating original music blending different genres. Later the line up was completed by Michele Di Gleria (drums) and Carlo De Biaggio (bass) and in 2014 the band self released a debut album entitled Kayros. The title of the album refers to a word in Ancient Greek that means "the right or the opportune moment" and that can describe in some way the lyrical content of this interesting work. The overall sound of the band is varied and rich, the music swings from calm, acoustic passages to heavier moments but without growling or screaming voices. Although the vocal parts are not particularly theatrical nor operatic they fit the melancholic mood of the album...

The long opener "Drawing Lines" starts softly and sets the atmosphere. The music and words evoke melancholy and rage, doubts and determination, pain and rebellion. There are many changes in rhythm, strummed acoustic guitars passages alternate with more aggressive electric parts while the dreamy vocals every now and again remind me slightly of Anthony Kiedis...

Next comes "Passion Brings The Energy" where reflective moments alternate with fiery passages and some echoes of west coast sprinkled with a pinch of exoticism. Suspended between past and future, life appears different and you feel a fire burning inside under the light of a new rising awareness...

The following "Falling Stars" deals with roots and memories that come back. The loss of an important person in your life can't be the end of the world if the light of his (or her) example still shines on you and his (or her) soul can still show the way to follow... Then comes the introspective "Landslip", a disquieting, diluted ballad where dreams turn into nightmares and you can't decide what is real and what is not and where the ground is shaking under your feet on the edge of an impending change...

The long suite "Crystal Eyes" is the main course of the album. At over thirty one minutes in length, this is a real epic. It's divided into seven parts and is about growing up, trying to heal the consequences of deep traumas, fighting day after day against ghosts and shadows, choosing time after time between good and bad: the music and words drive you through the psychoanalytical analysis of a broken man, beaten by the wild winds of life, a man who now risks to burn out, and is on the edge of suicide... Eventually the short closer "Crucial" ends the album with a final jump into the night on a soft piano pattern.

On the whole, I think that this is a good album and it's really worth listening to. Although the vocal parts might not always be convincing and you could find some passages a bit uneven, the band have a good potential and I'm sure they will do better in the future. Anyway, have a try and judge by yourselves! You can listen to the complete album on bandcamp.