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With as influential as they are to the Czech metal scene, I'm surprised more bands haven't tried taking direct inspiration from Root. That's probably because they are so individual and strange that emulating any part of them is a monumental task, but you'd think at least more bands would try.

If their name didn't give it away, Czech act The Book are one of those rare bands that take clear inspiration from their forefathers with dark, epic songwriting and massive, fiery guitar work that's not too far off from what Blackhosh was doing back when Root were worth a damn. That's not to say this is a carbon copy of Root, both because I doubt such a thing is possible and because there's a good bit of mid-period Bathory as well, making this less dark and more triumphant than you might expect. It'd be easy to fuck up a sound with influences that eclectic, but the band has a solid grasp of epic songwriting and strong guitar work that makes the songs grand and sometimes truly arcane.

All that said, the songwriting can get a bit baggy, and while lead singer Forneus has a strong mid-range and decent highs, his lower registers sound a little too much like they're trying to be like Big Boss when they just can't compare. Still, tracks like "Sculpture of the Gods" and the killer album closer "Master of the Dawn" prove that these guys are on the track to be a great band in a vein very rarely mined, making Forgotten Art of Old well worth listening to and The Book deserving everyone's attention.