Forgotten Torment - Burn again

​Forgotten Torment

Burn again
​self-released; 2022

3.8 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

When I first heard the name Forgotten Torment I thought I would be listening to a metal band. I was wrong. They are a post-rock/shoegaze music project from Germany that started in early 2022. They recently released Burn again which is a full length with ten songs.

The album starts with “Intro: walk” starts with what sounds like footsteps. You can faintly hear birds in the background. “On the rocks” is where we are introduced to the band. It starts with a clean guitar picking patterns and some lead guitar. I was getting a ’90s alternative vibe right off the bat. 

Somewhat ironically the next song is entitled “So 90s.” In addition to guitar work there is an atmosphere provided by long pads. I was expecting drums and bass to enter the mix but that didn't happen. So far these songs felt more ambient to me than anything else.

The dueling guitar action continues with “Exploding tonight” and there’s a little more fuzz. For the most part it sounds like a calculated jam session. One guitar has a little more rhythm while the other provides occasional fills. It’s pretty in a melancholy type of way somewhat aligned with a band like Mogwai.

“Darkness night” is pure ambience. It’s a slow burn of a song and goes deeper into the sense of melancholy. Despite the name, “Interlude” felt like another fully fleshed song. It’s a little brighter but still contains introspective qualities.

“Meet me by the forest” is another slow burn. Chords are slowly strummed in this dreamy soundscape. “Frost” contains lyrics but they are barely audible. They are way in the background. It’s lush and somewhat serene sounding. They further their signature sound with “Dream” while the closer and title track “Burn again” is a tremolo infused song.

When I think of shoegaze bands I think of My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Slowdive to name a few and when I think of post-rock I think of bands Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky. There are some slight aspects of that music but this often felt more aligned with a band like Windy & Carl. This feels like an ambient project especially due to the lack of percussion. That’s not a bad thing in any way but feels a little different than what was advertised.

​The songs run into each other as they should with this type of album. There are no hooks and very few transitions that sound distinct and the dynamics are relatively neutral. This is a solid release if you want to enjoy a bit of melancholy and are in an introspective mood. Take a listen.

bandcamp

Soundcloud

Tweet