Track By Tracks: Forsaken Rite - The Forgotten West (2024)

About EP Artwork:

Depiction of a hooded figure in a broad landscape running to the distance with buildings and mountains in the background.

About the EP as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

The Forgotten West as an EP is a collection of songs that tell a grand adventure story spanning multiple regions, times, and events. Building upon the sounds and ideas established in The Northern Saga (2017) it serves as the relaunch of Forsaken Rite and the world they intend to build intertwining metal and folk music and fantasy-inspired storytelling.

Each song features distinct and unique folk and metal elements throughout that give each member of the Warparty an opportunity to shine and showcase their musicianship.

Soaring, versatile, and expressive clean vocal melodies, harmonies, and lyrics build the Warparty’s world and stories.

Hard-hitting distorted vocals display anguish, anger, and power and support the emotive expression of the songs and stories.

Forsaken Rite’s iconic accordion-inspired sound is accompanied by inspiring and distinctive flute and medieval flute lines. The instrumentation is further supported through epic and expansive orchestral and folk elements including various horns, harps, and strings.

Striking and virtuosic guitar solos and leads shine through while providing rhythmic and heavy support throughout.

Driving bass guitar lines are distinguished with multiple leading bass lines and otherwise supportive and establishing rhythms.

Thundering and widely varied percussive elements throughout the songs establish and fortify the direction of each song.

Although the songs are loosely interconnected, each song is intended to stand alone by capturing the listener in the unique sounds and stories of Forsaken Rite.

Track by track:

1. The Forgotten West:

Story:

The Forgotten West is the start of a new adventure. Once content living a simple life in their town, one night everything changed when the town was attacked and everyone lost their land and home. Legends whisper of new lands to the West that are prosperous and free, thus the Warparty has begun their quest. Despite great successes on this quest and new stories to be told, they can’t help but long for what they once had, but was lost. Who will remember where it all began?

Music:

The Forgotten West is an epic adventure song that features multiple folk, orchestral, and metal elements. It serves as a beacon to the listener to join the Warparty on their adventure and sets the stage for the successes, the failures, and the overall diversity that is going to be experienced throughout The Forgotten West saga. The introduction is an ominous flute that builds the stage for the story that is to ensue. The song features verses led first by clean vocals and later distorted vocals that build the narrative capturing the magnitude and scale of the Warparty’s journey and the emotions behind it all. The chorus soars high and captures the heart of the song. The bridge is abrupt and fills the soundstage with an epic orchestral composition over a chant enticing remembrance and nostalgia.

2. How Long is Forever?:

Story:

The song is a fight between Sanity and Madness. It is told from the perspective of an eternal being who questions the meaning of its existence. The melancholic voice of Sanity is represented by clean vocals, which describe the internal struggle associated with the meaningless passing of time. Madness, represented by distorted vocals, slowly takes over until there is no trace of Sanity left.

Music:

How Long is Forever?, one of the most diverse songs on the EP, brings dark and dynamic elements to the band’s sound. The song is bass and clean vocal driven, starting with haunting vocals progressing into heavier sounds and harmonies until the ending with a grand multi-layered outro, which incorporates unclean vocals, accordion, flute, guitar, syncopated percussion, and other orchestral elements.

3. The Storm:

Story:

The Warparty is traveling West and encounters a terrible storm. As if something greater has other plans for their journey, they must weather its forces in order to survive and continue on their path.

Music:

The Storm depicts the progression of a storm with dynamic instrumental and tonal elements including a calm and growing folk section representing the ‘eye of the storm’ and builds into a final chorus featuring clean and distorted vocals.

4. Fire Circle:

Story:

Fire Circle is the story of the night directly after the events of The Storm. All gathered around the fire, festivities ensue in remembrance of those who have been lost and the challenges that have been faced.

Music:

Fire Circle features several distinct musical elements including a medieval flute, and ominous and reflective clean vocals that build the song’s narrative and entice the listener to join in the festivities and remembrance. The chorus is instrumental featuring several folk elements giving lead to dancing rhythms and melodies on accordion, flute, and guitar.

5. Call to War:

Story:

Call to War is the finale of The Forgotten West journey. The Warparty has made it to their destination… for now. They have settled and life isn’t so bad, it’s different than before, but yet… oh so familiar. As if destiny had other plans, peace lasts only so long before history begins to repeat itself as new enemy forces move in to take what little the village has built. Call to War is a battle speech and a rallying cry, because this time, we all stay to fight, unlike so long ago, before the journey of The Forgotten West.

Music:

The drums of war front the final rally cry as the Warparty leads warriors into battle. Call to War is a heavy war song led by the power of unclean vocals as clean vocals build the narrative. The song is directed at warriors to join the Warparty in the final battle. The bridge is a grand battle speech and a march towards victory climaxing in a multi-layered instrumental and vocal breakdown to round out the EP.