In The Woods… - Pure (2016)

As THE most awaited release of 2016 for us, today we have the pleasure of reviewing the return of In The Woods… with “Pure”. Having influenced hundreds of bands over the years with their visionary music and style, this band finally reformed back in 2014 - after 14 years of hiatus. Featuring over 67 minutes of music, this release perfectly delivers the traditional In The Woods… experience but not without a more refined an evolved sound that puts them right back in the map, picking up exactly where they left off.

Opening with the soaring vocal arrangements of “Pure” alongside a very moody and engaging instrumentation, the band will instantly transport you to their unique world. With British singer James Fogarty at the helm, instant comparisons to Jan Transeth can be made, but Mr. Fog has a more dynamic range and brings his own style into the mix. For those of us that enjoyed the experimental nature of the band, they quickly deliver the atmospheric and dreamy “Blue Oceans Rise” and “Devil’s at the Door” to hook the listener further in.

The band’s emotional and very diverse music is one of their main staples and majestic tracks like “The Recalcitrant Protagonist” truly deliver the old-school In the Woods… vibe. This track is one of our favorites as it seamlessly blends heavy guitar riffs with a pulsating Bass guitar line and brilliant drumming together with the soaring vocals. Not shying away from being heavy, the riffing of tracks like “Cult of Shinning Stars” and “Towards the Black Surreal” delivers raw power to the very melodic nature of the band’s music.

The musical magic created by the founding core of the band with the Botteri twins and Anders Korbo continues to be captivating and expertly crafted, as we can brilliantly enjoy with the magical “Transmission KRS”. As the band closes with “Mystery of the Constellations”, we are left with a huge smile on our faces as this album has clearly surpassed all expectations we had from it.

Overall, “Pure” is another magical release from In The Woods… that is set to become another classic. The band has managed to easily beat any expectations and sets the bar even higher in terms of their legacy. Mr. Fog does a great job in heading the band in its new stage and graciously pulls off the older songs as well, as we witnessed when we saw them play at Blastfest 2016. If you are a fan of the band or the broader spectrum of bands like Green Carnation and such, you will not be disappointed with this one.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: August 26th, 2016

Genre: Avant-garde Metal/Progressive Rock

Country: Norway