Man. Just one powerhouse of an album, Mindrot's debut comes at you full force in layers of power, beauty and darkness all rolled together. It's an interesting mix of death metal and goth, as one minute you're lulled by Neurosis-style ambience, then just torn apart by some of the thickest music I've heard in quite some time. There's just no denying that the major catalyst behind every moment of this platter is due to madman Evan Kilbourne. This guy is just a monster, decimating his kit and whipping out truly insane, and inspired, drumming. No wonder that the band chose to dissolve once he stepped out (to play for Save Ferris!!!) as his emotive chops really make this something to behold. Looking beyond the intricate rhythms, ther's quite a bit offered here which allows Mindrot to stand out from the "others". Maybe it's just the way that the various styles are pieced together (I hear Floyd, Korn, even some Leonard Cohen) to give rise to something new. May be comparable to My Dying Bride, or Paradise Lost, but this disc is so much more powerful, definitely not for the weak and pasty. Worth having just for the drumming alone, Forlorn is as impressive debut as you're apt to hear.
8 out of 10