Forest Swords “The Weight Of Gold”

19 Jul 2013 — Henning Lahmann

Few forthcoming releases this year keep us in suspense as much as the widely anticipated sophomore full-length by UK-based Matthew Barnes' Forest Swords, Engravings. The staggering "Thor's Stone" was a welcome reminder of what we found so exciting about this project back in 2010 in the first place, but it is second teaser "The Weight Of Gold" that really hits home, and it is further prove that there is no one else out there with such a distinct, all-encompassing and original sound right now. The track's buildup is much more than a mere signature of an artist who really knows what he's aiming at with his work; the effortlessly sophisticated arrangement and the composition's supernatural spirit, which steers away from ever becoming insipidly mystical or ethereal, both enfold the listener completely, carrying her away into remote spheres of the unconscious. "The Weight of Gold" might well be one of our favourite tracks of 2013 so far, and that does indeed mean something: consider us mind-blown.

Engravings is out August 26 via Tri Angle.