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Black Metal and long lasting compositions are two things I really enjoy in music. The Corpse of Rebirth contains both, but that's not all! This English quartet has crafted for us five great compositions that not only pushes the boundaries – this cool collection is lasting over an hour.

On this new album, the raspy vocals are sick and pretty wicked, ghostly at times, cleaner in other moments. Female vocals are performed by Katherine Queen of Ghost, who also plays flute and violin. A Forest of Stars has an adventurous and progressive approach to Black Metal, which works extremely well. Another well appreciated element about their music is the fact their song structure pulsates at moderate tempos almost exclusively, that is when it does not go even slower. I could recognize influences from the 70's progressive scene in a few instances. Indeed, the violin playing is reminiscent of vintage King Crimson, as well as in the brilliant way they mix ambient/calm passages with heavier and intense parts. You can hear a bit of Pink Floyd here, and some acoustic guitar being played a la Peter Hammill. On my favorite track, all those cool elements are present. The 16 minutes long opener is filled with distorted arpeggios, hypnotizing violin parts, ghostly voices, flute, as well as distorted riffs. A great spooky/ambient passage precedes an insanely sick and intense section on "Female". More acoustic and violin coupled with samplings, electronics, tam tam and distorted guitar work on "Earth and Matter". The closing song, "Microcosm," begins on a sad note with violin and piano, before the mid-tempoed distorted guitars take over, only to end up in more sadness filled with acoustic arpeggios and flute.

Forest of Stars is being compared to Solefald and Ved Buens Ende, but is actually a distinctive entity well worth looking for.