renkls There is an adage, 'less is more' which sums up the experience I had with this album extremely well. Hypothermia released this album for free back in 2010, and what a treat it was, albeit one that took me quite a few listens to fully appreciate - and even then, only under the right circumstances. Coming of several minimalist black metal albums, Skogens Hjärta was a surprise, as a full post rock piece, an undivided 68 minute suite.

Rather then throwing us into a pit of misery and misanthropy through the black metal aggression that catagorised much of their previous work, Skogens Hjärta uses the melodic and depressive nature of the lone guitar and drums to extract a far more affecting result. You know, like an emotional response. There is a simple, almost magnetic beauty to this album/song, and it reaches into it many times throughout.

That said, it's not perfect by any stretch, as the melodic moments are not always the centerpiece of the suite, varying between long stretches of building guitar and drumwork, then quieting down again, then repeating the process again and again. It could have been 50 minutes and not missed out much. I'm not complaining though, the meandering and melancholy nature of this album works for it in spades.

It never overstays its welcome, though that's purely my opinion. For others who are less patient and expect an album in the same vein as Hypothermia's previous work, look elsewhere. This is completely instrumental.

I recommend this album for sitting in solitude and writing your own stories and novels. It works wonders.