Otra (Gate) (Ofgv)

With their seventh studio album "Otra", Norwegian avant-garde metal stalwards IN THE WOODS... might surprise their listeners - and particularly those, who have not followed the remarkable evolution that the band from the southern Norwegian city of Kristiansand has undergone since the early nineties. The tracks of "Otra" are surprisingly captivating with melodic tunes dominating the present sound of IN THE WOODS... - although progressive elements and the occasional rough reminder of the Norwegians' harsh past are also regularly shimmering through the fabric of these songs. What sets "Otra" apart from the average heavy work of music is the excellence of composition that shows expert level experience and comes with a seeming ease that makes the achievement even greater. Lyrically, "Otra" revolves around stories connected to the eponymous river that winds for 245 kilometres through the South of Norway and spills into the Skagerrak, the strait that separates the country from Denmark and Sweden, at the band's home in Kristiansand. There is hardly a need to introduce the name IN THE WOODS... to any adherent of avant-garde and black metal. Their coordinates within the scene are also well known: The Norwegians were among the bands that have participated in the burgeoning evolution of black metal in the early nineties and have had a large part in the shaping of the sound of a strong subgenre. Their first full-length "Heart of the Ages" (1995) has a lasting impact on black metal and is rightfully regarded as one of the genre's early classics. Refusing to rest on their laurels, IN THE WOODS... progressed further into different musical dimensions with "Omnio" (1997) and "Strange in Stereo" (1999). Following a long hiatus between the years 2000 to 2014, the Norwegians returned with vocalist James Fogarty, who continued to front the band until December 2021. With a new line-up and singer Bernt Fjellestad completing IN THE WOODS... a fresh direction was taken with the album "Diversum" (2021). With "Otra", IN THE WOODS... demonstrate the full strength and artistic maturity of the Norwegians' third incarnation. Enticing and highly pleasurable to listen to, this exciting record is nonetheless crammed with glorious details and surprising twists that reveal themselves only after many spins.