Aoki Yutaka - Lost in Forest Album Review

Aoki Yutaka's debut solo album didn't draw me in at first; I had never heard his name before, and nobody I knew was talking about this project. It was the Virgin Babylon Bandcamp page which initially caught my eye with that album art you see above, that sinister goat's head which just screams black metal. Knowing Virgin Babylon from some of the previous albums they put out, I had to give this thing a listen. I can definitely say I don't regret my decision.

Lost in Forest isn't a metal album - in fact, the concept of genre barely applies here. It has gothic overtones, plus a lot of experimental structures and sounds. It could be regarded as ambient, though it's decidedly more active than, say, your average Boards of Canada album. There's a darkness looming in the 14 tracks that make up Lost in Forest, something that rarely, er, shines through so heavily in recorded music. Maybe it's due to the stunning guest list, from Dead End vocalist Morrie to Luna Sea / X Japan violinist SUGIZO, to DIR EN GREY's lead guitarist Kaoru. Kaoru's track Witch Hunt is definitely one of the darker pieces on here, sinister yet... almost jaunty, at times. It has a certain flair about it, like it was made to accompany Satan himself taking his throne. The track flares up and down with a thin piano melody and even thinner violin before being overtaken by the heavy downstroked guitar of Kaoru, a contrast that works all the better if you've got the volume on full blast.

The early track Open the Gate is definitely one of the biggest highlights on the album, featuring simply gorgeous vocals from Morrie over what can best be described as Radiohead from Hell. This song is full of harsh, crackling percussion and screeching feedback which clash perfectly and create a contrast unlike anything I've heard in a long time. Morrie also does vocals on the short penultimate track Colling, his whispered chants echoing over a SUGIZO's track, the closer Shape of Death, is another standout point. SUGIZO plays violin here, jumping from harmonious to strident throughout the piece.

This album sounds not unlike a horror movie, from the carnival-esque Waltz of the Bugs to the atmospheric "B", there's almost a dramatic arc running throughout the album. It's not the kind of album you actively listen to like a pop record, it's more atmospheric, semi-ambient. It sets a certain mood, and it does it fantastically. While I can't recommend Lost in Forest to everybody, I highly recommend it to anybody interested in this style of music. I really believe you won't regret it.

​-Justin