Some bands take their time to release their debut. Take Forest Of Shadows for instance: since their formation in 1997 they have already released four demos and two mini-cds. It’s about time the first album will be released. I use the words “bands” and “they” but in fact this is a one-man project. The man responsible for Forest Of Shadows is Swedish loner Niclas Frohagen and he didn’t exactly have the time of his life recording and getting Departure released.
The album was rewritten a couple of times and the label on which it was going to be released, Rage Of Achilles, ceased to exist. With his former label’s help, he was able to sign to Finnish Firebox Records and so, three years after his last release, Departure was finally released.

Departure has two faces; one side is almost traditional melodic doom metal with a grunt. The other side is truly depressive music stripped of all speed and with beautiful melodic passages, in the vein of some bands of the My Kingdom Music label.

Departure begins very fragile en emotional. Niclas’ voice is only accompanied by a piano and a very delicate drum computer and this continues for nearly eight minutes. After this, the song evolves into doom metal madness; full-blown grunts, distorted guitars, the absolute opposite of the past eight minutes. The rest of the cd follows this pattern, doom metal with monumental grunts combined with mellow parts. Think of it as Opeth playing doom metal; songs which easily reach the ten minute mark, allowing time to explore the song and taking the listener on a journey through the melodies. If you think doom should make you feel miserable and deprived of all joy and happiness Forest Of Shadows will ease your aching heart.