Album Review: Foretoken – Ruin

Stoners beware, Foretoken aren’t another weed-obsessed sludge outfit with a doobie name. Foretoken actually means a sign of things to come. In this case, what’s to come is a load of symphonic black metal straight from that point in about 2001 where Dimmu Borgir sounded like they were being sucked into The Matrix.

Being the work of two dudes and a session drummer, the scope and scale here is pretty impressive. Layer upon layer of compositional detail gives a sense of vastness, while a pin-sharp tightness ensures a level of coldness to the aggression. But where once this sort of thing was cutting edge and a new frontier for black metal, here it often comes off as dated. The overly-clean production doesn’t help much, nor does its aping of its forebears. Sailing close to your influences is fine if you give it enough welly, but Ruin sounds like it was meticulously plotted on paper before an instrument was even picked up.

That said, if you’re actually hungry for shiny black metal from a very particular point in history, Foretoken will fill the gap for you. The lyrics dealing in mythology and folklore give things a bit of character, and The Retribution packs a decent punch, thrashing along nicely before letting in a cold blast of icy, Northern air. For those who remember taking the tube to black metal gigs at the LA2 in a top hat and fangs, this may stir something. But a sign of things to come? More a tribute to what’s gone before.

Verdict: 3/5

For Fans Of: Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, Bal Sagoth

Ruin is out now via Prosthetic Records

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