This is a very good 12" on the I Hate Records label with two great bands both delivering 2 great songs, its available in both red and black vinyl but in limited quantities, but you get some real value for your buck too with over 35 minutes of music. The two bands are both very underrated, the first one is Forsaken from the land of Malta. They are a band that has been around for 20 years and has released 4 full length albums and all of them have been very good so why they still fly under the radar for most of the Traditional Doom Metal community is a mystery. The other band is Fall Of The Idols from Finland, they formed 10 years ago and released a killer album titled "The Seance" in 2008.

The Forsaken side of the 12" includes a re-worked version of a unreleased track titled "Visions In Thy Shadow" and its one of the very best Forsaken tunes I have ever heard. In true Forsaken style, the song is epic, trad-doom with Leo Stivala delivering some really dramatic vocals that are dripping with irresistible doom melody. It's made up of different sections that blend very well with tempo changes and mood swings, the up-tempo final section is a highlight of the track and as usual the band are on fire, these dudes from Malta really know their chops. The other song is even more impressive as its a cover of the Candlemass classic "Solitude", what impressed me about this is they have done what I thought was impossible, they make the song even better. While the Forsaken version sticks pretty close to the original, the vocal performance of Stivala seems to suit the song even more than the original Candlemass take. Its easily one of the best cover versions of a Candlemass song ever made.

Turn it over and you get Fall Of The Idols and they get the most playing time on the vinyl with 20 minutes compared with Forsaken's 16 and its very good doom. The first of the two tracks is "Black Magic Mushrooms" and its very atmospheric, very bleak which is typical coming from this band but its also full of captivating emotion. Massive guitar sounds and even more massive riffing is the key here but it also has a very mournful vibe. Its pretty standard stuff from Fall Of The Idols but standard for this band still means absolutely crushing. The other track is "Omen From The Sea" which is a bit more generic and predictable for this Finnish band, the bleak atmosphere is lifted slightly and while its still good, for me it stands out as the weakest track out of the 4 on the 12". The fact that its also the longest track at 11 minutes doesn't help much either but its still good so can't whine too much. All in all, this is a great release that hopefully will help lift both these bands out of the cult status they both have had since both bands began spreading their tales of woe and misery.......... 9/10
http://www.forsakenmalta.com/
http://www.myspace.com/forsakenmalta
http://www.falloftheidols.com/
http://www.myspace.com/falloftheidols