Have you been waiting patiently for the last 5 years for a new Summoning album? Well not long to go until Silenius and Protector deliver new opus ‘With Doom We Come.’ If you are really hungering for an immediate trip to Middle Earth you will be very happy to step into the Druadan Forest in the meantime. This is the work a Finnish woodsman V-Khaos who is also in various other acts such as Hiisi, Oath & Olio Tähtien Takana. This project is entirely new to me but has been active briefly between 98 & 99 before disappearing into the thickets only to re-emerge in 2016 and deliver EP, debut album and a couple of compilations. He also submitted a track to homage to Summoning album so no denying his love of them in the slightest.

‘Dreams Upon A Crimson Dawn’ poetically takes us through the portal and proves a rich and romantic instrumental work that’s pure fantasy land through and through. Neo classicism is at its heart and it could well be a soundtrack to a good film or even a board game! I am also reminded a bit of Munruthel here and this although a subtle piece of orchestration designed as a lengthy intro to draw you into this world, it is absolutely full of atmosphere. Listen and gaze upon the cover art and you will definitely be transported straight off to another dimension. Becoming more stirring it drifts into ‘The Shadowborn’ and reverts back to a whimsical and rather pastoral melody. It kind of makes one think of Hobbits going about their daily life in the Shire but danger is slowly approaching. So too are vocals and when we finally get a taste they are suitably gruff, gravid and weathered in their rasp. There’s some backing choir work and the twang of a Jew’s harp and by now one should find themselves totally immersed in this musical tale. The 6 tracks here have plenty of space to develop and breath but do not overstay welcome in slightest, in fact the album is a very accessible 38 minutes. ‘Quiet Reveries in Endless Sleep’ is aptly an incredibly dreamy and gorgeous song, which has a bit of a nursery rhyme, fairy tale quality about it at first. I am not sure if the rasps will shuffle you into the arms of Morpheus but again the superior melodic interplay will completely envelop and take you off to never-never land.

What would a true fable of Forgotten Times be without dragons and indeed we hear them slumbering in the album’s shortest track, a nice interlude it is too and makes you want to go up and give them a big stroke in their cave. Nope probably not a good idea. Somewhat singed and lacking of eyebrows we escape to ‘Beyond The Sun, Beyond The Moon’ and drums pick up a slow beat and guitar comes in making you realise that the tempo is upped and you have been missing these instruments somewhat previously. Melody enriched by keyboards this flows with flair in epic fashion, the growls accompanying nicely. Spirits of the dead echo through the final chapter ‘Plaintive Winds Swept Through Forgotten Battlefields’ and the clamour of steel resides in the air along with some neat progressively entwining guitar work and a mystical medieval sounding keyboard flow.

I don’t want to overplay the Summoning angle but due to putting together an interview with them elsewhere, the two albums have been companion pieces of late. Druadan Forest has seriously stood its ground with their new opus too, so I can’t think of a better way of praising ‘The Lost Dimension’ than that. This is well worth checking out

(7.5/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/DruadanForest

https://wolfspellrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-dimension