No, this is not the Death Metal band, that's The Forsaken, this is just Forsaken. This is a band from Malta of all places that plays the kind of Doom/Traditional Metal so popular on that island. This band has been around for a long time, but this is only their second full-length CD. I think they've had label trouble, as there are a lot of demos in their discography.
Like Solitude Aeturnus? Then you will like this too. "Anima Mundi" is an epic disc of long tracks, filled with the kind of riff-heavy goodness old SA or even early Candlemass are loved for. Now this sounds a lot more like SA than Candlemass, but you get the idea. Vocals are pretty good, but not great. They get the job done, but don't have much character. They are a step down from SA's Robert Lowe, who was a pale shadow of Messiah on a good day. Overall this is very old-school, Sabbathy stuff that isn't as slow and insufferable as a lot of bands that call themselves Doom like to play. The songs are long, and the arrangements are epic, but a lot of this is pretty uptempo and head-bangable.
I like this CD, but it's kind of faceless, in that the songs are not really memorable as songs. I enjoy this while it's playing, but there is not a single riff or vocal melody that I find myself humming or can even remember later. Thus I cannot really say this is a great album. For Doom fans this is a good buy, as you will enjoy the spin, but it's not an epochal release.
