Italian metalcore quintet Forbidden Seasons have released their debut album Promise via This Is Core. The LP follows on from their 2017 initial release, EP Paramnesia, with vocalist Mark Seasons commenting: ‘Promise is our first full-length album. It focuses on people and all the promises never kept by them because of their selfishness… It’s also about hope, and the chance to catch it by following your own dreams. In this album, we decided to use a heavier sound, representing the weight of the world on your shoulders. We’re so happy to finally be able to share it with you’.
Hailing from Turin, Italy, the band is completed by Symon Ray on Lead Guitar, Danny Ghale on Rhythm Guitar, Paul J. Price on Bass and Federico Spagnoli handling both Drums and Keys. Founded in 2015, they simply came together as five individuals intent on realizing their dreams to play music. Mark explains the moniker: ‘It’s about discrimination and lack of half measures in society. Everything is completely bad or good, black or white. There’s no space for gray anymore. Forbidden Seasons, it’s like forbidden feelings, forbidden thoughts, forbidden actions, forbidden goals… So we thought that name fit great with this idea.’
The writing of ‘Promise’ began after their Russian tour in February 2017, with Mark revealing ‘it’s been both amusing and hard at the same time to create it. The lyrics address topics such as loneliness, anger, apathy and misplaced trust, and all of those are reflected on the listener.’ Taking their time, recording took place over 7 months at Heavy Tone Studios in Turin, with mixing and mastering by Studio Fredman (Architects, Blood Youth). The outcome is self-described as ‘really reflecting who we are and the direction we want to take. Both in terms of sound and composition, it’s very different from Paramnesia, heavier than our last work; we wanted to create a deeper sound according to our emotional state.’ Melodically charged, beauty meeting darkness, their sound evokes Saosin and Underoath, Forbidden Seasons certainly are a promising prospect.
The album’s full tracklisting comprises: 1. Atlantis | 2. Thank You For The Venom | 3. Keys and Locks | 4. Gravity Fall | 5. Wormhole | 6. The Human | 7. Sorrow Won’t End | 8. I’ve Seen The End In Your Eyes | 9. The Rejected | 10. Promise