Review by Felix on November 25, 2023.

Atmospheric black metal can be pretty boring or quite exciting. Mostly it is presented in opulent song configurations and Walknut from Russia do not present the exception to the norm. Fortunately their one and only album “Graveforests and Their Shadows” from 2007 tends to the good side of the genre’s spectrum. They do not drown in their own tears, but the songs rely on a robust backbone. There are enough metallic guitars that dish up dense and dark lines which seem to go on endlessly. The lead vocalist has also understood the rules of the game. His throaty voice expresses pain, isolation, despair and all the other things you expect when it comes to this form of metal. The well chosen artwork translates these feelings into an impressive picture, although the sky is almost a bit too bright.

Of course, I do not find surprising twists and turns here. The stoic and hypnotic approach develops its full flavour by its uncompromising implementation. To repeat the melody lines many times is not forbidden and this way of proceeding does not uncover a lack of ideas. This is rather a sign for the conviction of the band (or should I better say one-man-project? The second dude delivers only the lyrics). Walknut do not intend to score with a very diverse album, but with a clear and doubtless orientation. Yes, they obviously know the art of Drudkh and they have pleasure in combining the Burzum aesthetics with a generally harsh sound. Maybe they are even familiar with some German bands like Geïst. Yet there is still some room for a certain degree of individuality. And even if you do not agree: at the end it’s a fact that quality beats individuality – and “Graveforests and Their Shadows” cannot be blamed for a lack of quality. It delivers both depth and intensity.

I admit that “Grim Woods” does not fully meet my taste. Okay, I like to hear the transformation of the lead vocalist from man to wolf. His passionate howling reflects this process very well. Anyway, the melodies do not fully hit the bull’s eye (from my point of view, there are no objective flaws). This is always the risk when it comes to an epic composition. If you do not like it completely, such a monument can be quite protracted. But the first three songs after the intro as well as the closer illustrate that Walknut usually find the right harmonies to keep things interesting. Maybe the band should have recorded the material with less reverb, because the production does not sound very organic. But to be clear, the deficiencies in terms of songwriting and mix are no big deal. Waalknut’s debut and farewell album still does a good job and it is another prove for the fact that the underground is full of hidden champions league applicants. This alone is a good reason to lend an ear to “Graveforests and Their Shadows”.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10