(Psychedelic Black Metal) A Forest of Stars - The Corpse of Rebirth - 2008, FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Mister Curse - Vocals
Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts (Kati Stone) - Violin, Flute, Vocals (My Dying Bride)
The Gentleman - Synths, Pianoforte, Drums
Mr T.S. Kettleburner - Guitar, Bass, Vocals

[Verification date: 31.07.2009 12:04:35]
[Disc ID: 000e3d37-004101b9-460eed05]
Disk not present in database.
Track [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL] [ LOG ]
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02 [D2A00B5B] [D374BDE2] CRC32
03 [A4AADABA] [06507143] CRC32
04 [25507FB5] [75A77431] CRC32
05 [24FF0E1A] [633FE940] CRC32

EAC extraction logfile from 1. October 2008, 21:02 for CD
A Forest of Stars / The Corpse of Rebirth
Used drive : Optiarc DVD RW AD-7173A Adapter: 0 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache
Read offset correction : 48
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Used output format : C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\flac.exe (User Defined Encoder)
192 kBit/s
Additional command line options : -8 -A tukey(0.25) -A gauss(0.1875) -b 4096 -V -T "artist=%a" -T "title=%t" -T "album=%g" -T "date=%y" -T "tracknumber=%n" -T "genre=%m" %s --sector-align
Other options :
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Installed external ASPI interface
Track 1
Filename E:\Фб ЭггсбцЬ мпх\Downloads\The Corpse of Rebirth FLAC\01 - A Forest of Stars - God.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:02.00
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 1C613672
Copy CRC 1C613672
Copy OK
Track 2
Filename E:\Фб ЭггсбцЬ мпх\Downloads\The Corpse of Rebirth FLAC\02 - A Forest of Stars - Female.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:01.00
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC D2A00B5B
Copy CRC D2A00B5B
Copy OK
Track 3
Filename E:\Фб ЭггсбцЬ мпх\Downloads\The Corpse of Rebirth FLAC\03 - A Forest of Stars - Male.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:01.00
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Test CRC A4AADABA
Copy CRC A4AADABA
Copy OK
Track 4
Filename E:\Фб ЭггсбцЬ мпх\Downloads\The Corpse of Rebirth FLAC\04 - A Forest of Stars - Earth and Matter.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:01.00
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 25507FB5
Copy CRC 25507FB5
Copy OK
Track 5
Filename E:\Фб ЭггсбцЬ мпх\Downloads\The Corpse of Rebirth FLAC\05 - A Forest of Stars - Microcosm.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:01.00
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 24FF0E1A
Copy CRC 24FF0E1A
Copy OK
No errors occured
End of status report

For many, many years, the queen and her nation were a white, if not even "untouched" spot on the Black Metal map. Surely, there were some chapels who stood out of the under-average stream of releases but they disappeared out of my ears and thus of my short-term memory as they came to surface. Since last year's end however, there was an about-turn to be noticed which appealed to me in a very positive way - something is moving in terms of quality (finally!). In this development also is this very quartet participated that are active since about a year but thus blow the listener away much more unexpected.
Thereby, it's first of all difficult to narrow down this musical hybrid stylistically. The main arrangements are made of solemn, sometimes "pumping" Black Metal in which foggy guitar walls create a preciously distanced, starry mood and where chants à la Urfaust with focus on screams are the - for continuing delight necessary - counterpart. For comparing fanatics, names like Ved Buens Ende, Weakling, Wolves In The Throne Room and Code shall be mentioned at this moment which can be referred to as subliminal inspiration sometimes, while the overall impression is of surprisingly refreshing and unique nature. But A Forest of Stars don't leave it at that, the group is aspiring for more than just the image of yet another chair occupier in Black Metal: Genre borders get blurred here in a very enjoyable way for the listener. For example: The music here gets covered in noble shells of Ambient walls especially after long and guitar-laden passages; violin and piano dip them in dark and goose bumps provoking colours. Hence it makes no difference that there are also dissonant to "weird" tones to be heard from that particular direction - all of these elements are making up the unique and quite inexplicable atmosphere. When then the female part of the band behind these instruments comes along and starts to sing, they fully got you in their claws - one cold shower is following the next one!
Generally do songs like the more and more intensive becoming "God" or the almost inhumanely thrilling "Female" fascinate because of their authenticity, their unbelievably flawless and coherent songwriting as well as the (admittedly a bit weird) skill to be as caring as a pastor in order to more than ever leave a striking impression. Even if it looks a little bit overrun on paper: Every single song on here is for itself worth buying the album. It's just insane how one wistful part winds into another and sounds so utterly harmonic while doing so. Words fail me on this topic... Honestly, I don't really know what it takes more to get the highest score here and therefore, I leave it with a simple "Buy now!".
(10/10) translated by Amikkus