Clean sound and an arsenal changing emotions unfolds an epic tale of loss, accomplishment and fear.
Dark Ambient/Dungeon Synth artist Forest Of Orthanc released The Forgotten Tongue on January 13, 2021. This album is the essence of “Do-It-Yourself”. Released on Frost Root Records out of Grand Junction, Colorado, The Forgotten Tongue is available digitally and on limited run cassettes.
The Physical:
The Forgotten Tongue is limited to 22 cassettes. Each gold colored cassette is hand dubbed, and hand stamped. The inserts were home printed and hand cut. Each copy is hand signed and individually numbered. They are wrapped in a hand stamped sleeve. This release took a lot of time and effort, and was completed with excellent quality.
The cover art, Glacier at Spitsburg by French painter and Arctic explorer Auguste Erienne Francois Mayer, complements the sound of the album perfectly. The artwork covers the entire insert, which is often not seen.
The sound quality is enough to change opinions on cassette tapes as a media platform. The stigma often surrounding cassette tapes is that they are muddy and flat. Use of a cassette leads to a drastic reduction of sound quality as a whole, and can cause some parts to be missed entirely. With The Forgotten Tongue, that stigma is non-existent. The sound is crisp and clear. It is bright and open, with each part coming through with fullness. The recording and mastering by Wanderer shines on this album, down to the near perfect runtime of each side.
The Music:
To start this album, “Leaving behind the warmth of Home” is cold and lonely. And yet, the soft piano is crisp and comforting, as if the loneliness is inviting. The droning, deeper synth of “Discovering forgotten paths” gives a sense of dread and unease that is felt deep within the chest. That unease comes from venturing into the unknown and forging ahead into long forgotten lands. “Longing for tomorrow” is powerful. Anticipation and unsettled nerves hold strong as if tomorrow holds a long awaited battle or intense journey. Backing sounds can really set a tone, and conjure imagery. The trekking through snow sounds of “At the foothills of Angthurem” does just that. This song ties in with the cover art perfectly. The flute-like synth speaks to an expedition, but the tempo and tone are frigid and grey.
To follow up the cold, a sense of peace. “The book of lost voices” is calming and hopeful. The notes are presented in a way that is almost lilting and comforting. But, that peace is quickly taken away. “Invoke the arcane words” has an underlying evil. The deeper synth tones allude to something horrifying lurking in the shadows. A long forgotten beast is just waking from its centuries long slumber, and unspeakable danger is soon to come. The drums of “Summit of the Whispering Mountain” add an uplifting feeling. A sense of accomplishment for reaching the summit after a long, harsh journey. The last track, and title song, “The Forgotten Tongue” blends marching drums and guttural, indecipherable vocals. This final song conjures images of a vast inhuman army sweeping the land and conquering all in their path.
Forest Of Orthanc uses The Forgotten Tongue to create extensive scenery, and an epic tale. This album is for those heavily interested in fantasy worlds, exploration, and those in search of a backing soundtrack to games or films. The Forgotten Tongue is available now via Frost Root Records on Bandcamp in digital form. The 22 cassettes have now sold out.
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