Form is an experimental black metal band based in Tartu, Estonia. The band originally formed in the year 2007 and has done concerts rarely over the years with a demo released in 2009. Their debut album "Aerosols and Dust Particles" was recorded and produced starting in 2009 until 2019 and released at the end of 2020 on December 27th.
The album kicks off with the instrumental synth-based intro, "Birth Bringer, Death Giver", which really sets the mood for the record, creating a dark and lonely atmosphere for the listeners, leading directly into the track "Hometown". This second track defines the pace for the majority of the album, experimental black metal set on top of cold synthesized melodies.
The vocals in this opening track have a wide range of techniques, from more traditional black metal shrieks, growled vocals, clean vocals modified by some distorting effects, and they really showcase the versatility of vocalist/keyboardist Arhitekt.
The music can be described by words like "atmospheric", "experimental", "progressive", but is defined by none of them. The progression of the tracks remind me very much of a more black metal version of Ved Buens End at many times, yet they sound very different in most aspects. The instrument that stands out the most to my ears are the drums, performed by Koljat. They can go from frantic blast beats to a more relaxed and jazzy feel in the blink of an eye, creating a great flow through the entirety of the album. Definitely something better listened to as a whole, rather than individual songs.
"Divers in Stratosphere" presents the band's female vocalist Rebeca for the first time on the album, her vocals adding a far more eerie sound to the album than has been seen before thus far, though her voice stands out the most as lead vocalist on the track "Naturalization" which is by far the catchiest and more straightforward song, giving listeners a brief moment of near clarity before diving back into the haze with the final track, "Conflate Eon", ending the album with a sense of eerie dread.
In the end, this album is for those who are looking for something outside of the usual trappings of black metal and have an ear more open to experimentation and weirdness. It is definitely not something for everyone but those who enjoy hearing something unusual may find this album to be a hidden treasure.
Form sites:
Bandcamp: https://form-official.bandcamp.com/releases
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/formband/
