Review by Adam M on August 25, 2015.

The folk element of this album runs strong and it’s an authentic album in the sub-genre without a doubt. This album competes nicely with Saor’s Aura for an ethnic treat in folk. There is a large amount of accordion usage with this band and that differs from Saor, however.

The sounds created by this outfit are bleak and haunting. Every passage has a melody or moment that stands out and grasps the listener’s attention. Like much folk, these passages are extended for a very long period of time. This allows the music of Finsterforst to slowly work its magic. The music has a nature that is similar to Celtic music and this sounds authentic and real. The music here is so beautiful that it overshadows the vocals. Sounding much like Vintersorg, this person does a pretty good job at adding the appropriate colour to the tracks on Rastlos. Right from the gate, Nichts als Asche is a highlight with its complex and involved structure. The remainder of the tracks pattern themselves after this strong effort. Acoustic guitars are interspersed at the proper moments to add mood. When taken as a whole, there are a lot of things to like about the music on this release. It sets the proper tone at will and captivates on many levels. The problem with this music is indeed that is sounds too close to that album by Saor. This is unfortunate, but there aren’t that many bands that sound exactly like Finsterforst. Therefore, the listener has a ton of reasons to listen to the band and not many negatives. Though it isn’t outstandingly innovative sounding, Rastlos is certainly moody and atmospheric at all the right moments and a solid piece of folk metal on the whole. The wonders that are hinted at on the cover are only more than present on this disc.

Rating: 8 out of 10