Whispering Forest
Of Shadows And Pale Light

Even in 1998, a year when the influences of the black verb of doom were still of primary importance for those playing gothic metal, there existed celebrated and appreciated acts, and others equally talented that unfortunately remained confined to a marginal scene, still definable by the term "underground". Whispering Forest undoubtedly belonged to the latter. In the same year that marked the success of Theatre Of Tragedy with the release of the masterpiece "Aégis", the band from Estonia made their appearance with "Of Shadows And Pale Light".

Introducing us to the dark sonic journey of the album are the ethereal vocals of singer Katrin in "Curse", a grim preamble to what will be a moonlit walk through boundless forests and crumbling castles. "On These Darkest Autumn Light" directly recalls the work of My Dying Bride from "Turn Loose The Swans". The foundational elements of Whispering Forest's sound are immediately laid out (at least for most of the album's duration): catacombal riffs, slow and obsessive rhythms, eerie symphonic openings supported by organ notes, a sweet and enveloping female voice halfway between the warm tones of Anneke Van Giersbergen and the operatic registers of Vibeke Stene, a visceral, tormented, and terrifying growl (no term could be more fitting). All this is embellished with romantic violins and keyboards, bewitched and almost inhuman in their performance, an exemplary demonstration of how an instrument can evoke in the listener's mind images of dark castles turned into the realm of eternal torment for souls without peace.

"Last Sunset" starts right off with driving rhythms and symphonic effects supported by the guitar-keyboard duo, then flows into a central duet that (vaguely) might be reminiscent of what was heard on the first album by Theatre Of Tragedy. However, Katrin's voice is entirely distant from that of Liv Kristine; it seems also possessed by a supernatural spirit, hovering humbly above the granite sound walls created by her bandmates. "Winterbird" is initially supported by a canonical doom metal rhythm which is backed by ethereal operatic vocals and cryptic symphonic sections, then breaks into a semi-acoustic segment followed by a gloomy sonic triumph of keyboards, to which are added the singer's desperate screams and the lead guitar, only to make way for the duet in style with "Beauty And The Beast". One of the album's most intense, disturbing, and dark moments.

"Shine Of Lethe" is slightly dissonant and decidedly less heavy compared to what was heard before. The piece, which unabashedly references The Gathering from the "Mandylion" period, was perhaps intended as a tribute to the Dutch masters, as well as a melodic interlude, a glimpse of light in an album where funerary sensations and omens of death reign. With the subsequent "Black Orchid", we also venture into territories closer to gothic than doom, which do not even disdain sudden accelerations and delicate arpeggios over the ever-present symphonic layers. The pained guitar-violin duet in the central part is, once again, inspired by the finest works of the Dying Bride and represents the album's second emotional highlight. The ending, however, is entrusted to an unusual noise that keeps repeating over a substrate of atmospheric samples. "Twined As One" reshuffles elements from previous songs without presenting any particular points or passages worth noting.

"Darkest Side" is absolutely more exciting, mainly because the song embraces death metal sounds. Even vocally, we notice a significant change in direction: the growl becomes decidedly deeper and more cavernous (and painful), and in the chorus, it duets with the female voice over a folk metal rhythm, enriched by the contribution of acoustic guitar. There's also room for a segment where the protagonist is a male clean voice. "Tulesoñad" is a haunting overlap of spoken verses serving as a simple interlude. Again, doom and folk (this time there's also a flute causing chills and a sense of transmigration) go hand in hand in the concluding title track, enriched by Katrin’s performance, reaching beyond the usual in terms of interpretation and range. This, along with "Darkest Side", is the most personal and convincing track of the set. The finale is entrusted to the piano, the spokesperson for the end of? the dark sonic path undertaken by the unsuspecting listener, now at the edge of their strength. The journey has come to an end, and the cathartic effect can thus take place.

Whispering Forest does not represent a voice out of tune compared to the predominant sounds of those times, but the album is very good, it benefits from a crystal-clear production and is characterized by a great heterogeneity within (thanks to which it could be divided into three parts, although there are standalone episodes or passages). As far as technique and atmosphere are concerned, I find nothing to envy in more famous bands. For these reasons, "Of Shadows And Pale Light" remains an excellent album even today and clearly demonstrates how the same atmospheres of renowned bands like Theatre Of Tragedy and My Dying Bride could also come to life in acts that were not endowed with the same media visibility, but were not any less valid or appreciable for it. A work that mixes shadows and pale glows, deserving to be brought back to light by those who love and have loved the then spontaneous and joyful blend between the funeral desperation of the grayer doom, the romantic languor of gothic, and the explosive classical pathos introduced exactly in those years by the use of female voice and violin in metal.