OKP001
Warblade
A Crisis in the Gray Space
[buy now]
[homepage]
Released 2003:
From Chronicles of Chaos:
by: Adrian Magers (8.5 out of 10)
"Warblade fucking rules. Obviously there's more to be said about this absolutely stellar melodic death metal act, and personally I could go blue in the face praising them and the raging slab of music featured on their first full-length release _A Crisis in the Grey Space_. But let's face it: that's the bottom line. Roughly they sound similar to a combination of Shadows Fall and At the Gates, but there are a lot of other influences mixed in there as well, and it'd be unfair to try to pigeonhole the band by comparing them to a meeting between any two bands. In their bio Warblade list Iron Maiden, Dark Tranquillity, Vesperian Sorrow, Old Man's Child, Dimmu Borgir, and Children of Bodom as influences. If this sounds even remotely interesting, then do yourself the service of checking this band out. Warblade unquestionably have the potential to take a seat as top players in the U.S. metal scene and I'm ecstatic that I received the honor of hearing these guys on their last demo (_Release the Angel of Death_). So go check them out now, so you can say you were there from the very beginning. You can thank me later."
Oak Knoll also released Warblade's next release. For Warblade's third release "Seize the Fire" you can hear and order it through their band link above. |
OKP002
Born of Thorns
New Horizon
[buy now]
[homepage]
Released 2003:
From Chronicles of Chaos:
by: Adrian Magers (4.5 out of 5)
Symphonic black metallers Born of Thorns have slowly been carving their mark deeper and deeper into Finland over the last few years, and also appeared on the recent Cradle of Filth tribute _Covered in Filth_, on which they contributed the standout track -- a faithful rendition of "To Eve the Art of Witchcraft". However, once one introduces himself to Born of Thorns' other material he soon realizes the band's full talents. They compose metal that is beautiful, melodic, dramatic, and is put together in a very grandiose manner. Their biggest strength lies in their transitions; the songs are structured perfectly. The one complaint I can think of is length, as there are only three songs ("The Encounter", "Of Light", "And Dark") on this demo EP totaling under 20 minutes of material. But the CD serves its purpose, as I'm definitely craving more Born of Thorns. _The Encounter of Light and Dark_ was recently picked up and re-distributed by Oak Knoll Productions, so think of this as a second chance to pick up some top-notch melodic black metal."
Oak Knoll is talking to Born of Thorns about working with us again. |
OKP003
Evermork
Astral Forest Winds
[buy now]
[homepage]
Written by HarleyAtMetalReview on June 27th, 2005
"As yet another release from the Oak Knoll vaults had fallen into my anxious hands, without hearing a single second of the disc, I held no reservations of Astral Forest Winds being anything short of exceptional. Acting partly as the MetalReview expert on the small Massachusetts start-up label, I have developed a keen sense on what to expect from the acts that comprise the Oak Knoll roster; an anthology of outstanding metal gems that are certain to tickle my fancy no matter what mood I may be in. To put it bluntly, these guys really know how to pick ‘em. With that in mind, I eagerly proceeded to tear through the packaging that enclosed the EP in question. Lo and behold, my prior assessment was confirmed almost immediately after pressing the play button. Oak Knoll had done it again.
Relying greatly on their ‘primal’ instincts, Sweden’s EverMörk perform what they refer to as ‘Astral’ metal. Inherently, the three tracks that make up Astral Forest Winds are the band's own take on blackened melodic death. By design, the EP settles somewhere between the black metal realms of old Dissection and Dawn, while closer examination reveals the band harnessing a Gothenburg mentality that recalls Lunar Strain era In Flames. Essentially, EverMörk are a Swedish band that sounds, well, Swedish.
The trio effectively employ an in and out attack. Each song on Astral Forest Winds comes and goes in an instant, yet is guaranteed to linger in your head far after this ten minute assault has ended. Infectious melodic riffs and textured guitars are coupled with grim blackened vocals (think of a better Shagrath) and layered atop battering drum work with some insanely swift double bass. Much like Vintersorg (but less mathematical and complex), visuals of cosmic retribution paint a pretty picture of mankind’s demise; A hot theme in EverMörk’s lyrics. The sky is indeed falling, ladies and gentlemen, and EverMörk just may be your only key to survival.
The production for Astral Forest Winds takes on a quality similar to that of a mid-grade streaming internet radio station. This particular aspect of the band’s debut doesn’t take away from the explosive experience by any means. In fact, the recording actually adds a touch of unique flavor to the listen. Being that the majority of the acts that currently play this type of music tend to be more polished in the studio department, in my opinion this only exposes the true nature of EverMörk; fun dark metal that never takes itself too seriously.
In all the confusion of underground metal genres, sub-genres, and sub-subgenres, the last thing we need is additional style classifications. However, after exploring Astral Forest Winds, it is certain that the metal world will embrace EverMörk's ‘Astral’ metal. "
Nobody has heard from Evermork ever again since they released a demo song in 2006. |