Astral Winter plays melodic and synth-based symphonic “black” metal of the type that soars around majestic Gothic spires of fairytale castles. Thus; atmospheric metal. The band is compared to Wintersun, but I would argue that Summoning's Tolkien metal is a way better reference. The music is not directly ambient, but borrows some moods from synthetic Dungeons & Dragons music. I'm not going to compare Astral Winter to Tartarus, but a touches of the majestic and orchestral leads me to think in such directions. This band is still far from as cleverly structured. The atmosphere of troll-forest and magic castles takes my mind back to Surturs Lohe, while the home-made character is reminiscent of Frozen Ocean, without any of these serving as good references. Thoughts of death/doom also cross my mind due to the album's inherent melancholy, but the synth heavy exhibition Forest of Silence perform, moves in the outer regions of my field of expertise.

The Tasmanian devil has nonetheless some way to go to get on the same qualitative level as for example Wintersun. The sound has plenty of debris, and the production is also thin and frail. The uneven, raspy and straight-out cheap sound is certainly an objection on my part. This poor sound should not be necessary in this era. It's of course possible that it's supposed to sound retro, like dungeon synth, for there are always those who enjoy a genuine underground feel, and who appreciate an unpolished exterior. With album number three, my personally opinion is that it's time to seek out a proper studio. A trained audio dictator can sometimes work wonders. The tone colour of the piano has, however, a nice ring to it, just to mention that as well.

Forest of Silence doesn't offer the strongest compositions, but the melodies themselves ain't too bad. There's a lot of comfortable and dreamy music here that sets the mood while perusing your favoured fantasy literature. 15 minutes long The Palace of the Prophets stands as a favourite in this respect.

Josh Young has collaborated with other musicians in the sense that he has left parts of the vocal to D. G. Klyne (Appalachian Winter), Josh Gee (from Atra Vetosus, another band Young is involved in) and Kai Sai Mei.

I have no idea how many of the original 500 copies of the limited edition that remains in stock, but the album is still available as of this writing, and it's of course also available digitally.

In harsh competition with well-established bands and releases with proper production, Forest of Silence fall short in my ears, although the music itself is basically pleasant enough.
Rating: 3-

The Moscow-band, named Откровения Дождя in their own tongue, could celebrate fifteen years in the service of despondency as they releases their fifth album, Akrasia, or Акрасия, last year. Not unexpectedly, the album lasts for an hour. Fairly exactly, actually. The songs are, however, with their a bit more than seven minutes on average, not dauntingly long. As expected, the material also grow into beautiful, mournful pieces that convey sadness and gloom without a single flash of light.

On the negative side, it must be said that the genre guidelines are followed without any surprising moments. Connoisseurs know what they're getting into and whether that's sufficient for a purchase. I can't say that I'm tired of traditional funeral or that the music have to be highly spectacular to appeal, but the melodies ought to be well above average and somewhat recognizable, while preferably providing a somewhat poignant sensation in order to stand out with panache and be recommended without objection.

The Russian veterans are not quite there. The songs are pleasantly sad and their flair for structuring prevents tedious and monotonous segments. With Akrasia, Revelations Of Rain delivers a sturdy and comfortable album that soak the listener in an unmistakable atmosphere, regardless of time and place, but that probably doesn't stand out enough to exceed the equivalent from other sources. I'm not going to refuse using the term “very good”, but not to a greater extent than about others in the same position. Even if there's no real originality to speak of, supporter of such music can still shop safely without risking strangulation by the clammy hand of disappointment, as the Russians belong to the elite what beautiful and alternating melody lines concerns.
Rating: 4+