In The Woods... "Isle Of Men" Cassette last copies!!

This piece of art is eternally dedicated to the memory of Oddvar Rest In Peace.

Track 6 is an unreleased version of "Heart of the Ages".
Track 7 is a rewritten and rearranged song from the band's '93 rehearsal demo specially recorded for this compilation.

Limited edition 200 hand-numbered Pro-Tapes.
Official release authorized by Anders Kobro.

Before they became progressive metal stalwarts, In the Woods... were a standard Norwegian black metal band with some prog-rock influences. Released in 1993, "Isle of Men" is the band’s second demo, following a savage rehearsal/demo a few months earlier. By the time it was recorded, In the Woods... were already introducing sombre, mellow aspects to counteract the black metal fury. The resulting music was less intense than most Norwegian black metal of the time. It foreshadowed the band's future ambitions to make more expansive music, but it didn't hint at how far the band would eventually take these ideas.
At this stage, the progressive rock influences revolve around long songs and over-zealous keyboards. The vocals alternate between harsh Pterodactyl shrieks and a ghostly, crooning style. The guitar sounds like the typical discordant Norse black metal racket, with a few decent solos. The biggest influence on the band was Bathory. Early In the Woods... can best be described as a band wanting to remake "A Fine Day to Die" over and over again. The problem is that In the Woods... lacked Bathory's charisma and ability to capture impending doom. The only moments of real extremity are on the savage, stomping "Creations of an Ancient Shape", a song that morphs into jagged, punishing, chunky death/thrash. An even more relentless version of this song appears on the aforementioned rehearsal demo, which is worth hearing.
The difficulty I have with “Isle of Men” is that In the Woods... were not great at making black metal. They rarely sound threatening enough to stir the emotions like Burzum or Darkthrone. They weren't as talented as Emperor or Enslaved and their compositions weren’t as sophisticated. They weren't (yet) experimental or interesting enough to fulfill their progressive intentions. Other Norwegian bands were doing the ‘epic Bathory’ sound at around the same time. Compare this demo to "Alone Walkying" by Hades and it is clear that In the Woods... were a second-tier band in this style.
Still, their second-tier black metal sounds better here than it would on their debut album. "Isle of Men" has more bottom-end and atmosphere than "HEart of the Ages". These earlier (and shorter) versions of "Wotan's Return" and "In the Woods..." are therefore more effective. “HEart of the Ages” also had an odd sheen which brightened the band's progressive side but diminished their lo-fi intensity. Ultimately, In the Woods... made the right decision when they decided to venture in the progressive/experimental direction. They would find their calling once they moved away from black metal, where their ambitions would be fulfilled.

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