Raw power and instinctive seduction, fierce energy and atmospheric beauty, this entwined with many more striking assets is the sound of Danish band FOREVER STILL. It is a magnetic blend which has been luring increasing hordes of fans and rich attention since emerging with the band in 2010 and certainly since the stirring studio introduction to them through their debut release. Forever Still is a proposition which gets talked about with relentless and enthused frequency and if there was one name suggested as the most likely to ignite the music world ahead, Forever Still would be on the lips of a great many.
The Copenhagen hailing band is cored by the songwriting craft of its founders, vocalist Maja Schønning and multi-instrumentalist Mikkel Haastrup, and the stringed prowess of guitarist Dennis Post. It is a potent union breeding evocative and rousing tracks like the earth spawns bright blooms. As mentioned it was with the band’s first record, the critically acclaimed “Breaking Free” EP, that ears were sparked outside of their homeland, it’s quick grab of new broader blood following Forever Still’s attention grabbing performances at Denmark’s Nordic Noise Festival and being selected as one of the top 5 bands playing Germany’s M’era Luna Festival. The Flemming Rasmussen recorded “Breaking Free” provided an adventurous gateway into the gothic rock/melodic metal sound of the band through songs like the catchy yet dramatically emotive ‘The Key’, the mix of elegance and predation that is ‘The Last Day’, and the light and dark glory of ‘Towards The Edge’.
The EP was also the first revealing and revelling in the DIY attitude of the band. For it and all subsequent releases, the inventive hands of Mikkel undertook production, engineering, mixing and mastering, he as well as fine musician and songwriter a recording engineer trained by the legendary Flemming Rasmussen, whilst Maja is the creator of the band’s management, photography, and designs amongst many things. Art and videos are also an in house creativity, which alongside further evidence and tantalising examples of the band’s imaginative songwriting, blossomed a stunning second EP in 2014. Released as the year was about to turn into this, “Scars” was three tracks of sheer resourceful, imagination soaked drama, musically and lyrically. The first of a trilogy of EPs themed by a suppressed individual struggling through depression, anxiety, and worthlessness, fighting through all to get well while getting stronger in the process, the EP as its predecessor was received with open arms whilst triggering even more feverish reactions from fans and media alike.
Eventually to unite in a full-length concept album with the other pair of EPs, “Scars” through three songs compelling songs entwined in the siren-esque yet attitude rich vocals of Maja, showed new 
depths breached and exploration undertaken in songwriting and sound. From its snarling, unpredictable and anthemic but bewitchingly radiant title track, through the electronically mellower yet passionately fiery ‘Once Upon A Nightmare’ and the classical air of power ballad ‘Miss Madness’, the band’s second EP was a bed of powerful diversity and imagination, which in the words of PlanetMosh was “…one of the most exciting new releases in the last 12 months and if there is justice in the music world, 2015 has to be the year of Forever Still.”.
As its predecessor and the latest encounter from Forever Still, “Save Me”, the EP was made available on a pay-what-you-want basis at the band’s Bandcamp profile. Talking about why the band chose to release their music for free, Maja recently explained, “We believe that music should be available to everyone – both those who are broke, and those who have a little extra to spare in support of the artists they love,”, adding “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into these song, so if our fans want to give us some help for our hard work, we are very very grateful! But if they don’t have the money right now, they can take it, share it and, if they love it, come back and kick in later.”
The recently unveiled “Save Me” EP is another riveting step in the creative ascent and increasing worldly stature of Forever Still. Once more just three songs gripped ears and inflamed the imagination, but a trio of proposals starting with lead single ‘Awake the Fire’, which the word irresistible was surely invented for. The band has always found itself compared, for all the right reasons, to the likes of Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, but the opener alone, firmly backed by its companions, proved Forever Still has evolved into something wholly unique whilst holding on to and enriching the alluring essences which enticed from day one. Both the tempestuous croon of ‘Breathe In’, with its additional carnivorous and often furious intent, and the EP’s poetic aural lure of a title track, itself seeded in a fresh melodic but shadowed serenade fuelled by perpetual evocative fire, revealed Forever Still at yet another new plateau. Again it drew relentless praise from fans old and new as well as the likes of The RingMaster Review which announced that ”…Save Me, is the most potential and ability equipped proposition from the band to date and if this does not rupture the broadest spotlights with accompanying successes then something is seriously wrong out there.”
With “Save Me” and the video for ‘Awake The Fire’ still recruiting new ears and passions, Forever Still is now working on their debut album and continuing to light up venues and stages with a hunger and presence to match their exhilarating sounds. Many have claimed 2015 as the year of Forever Still but the next twelve months or so are looking like THE moment when the band steps to the frontline of melodic metal; when they move from the inspired to the inspirers.
Explore the world of Forever Still …
http://foreverstill.dk/ https://twitter.com/foreverstilldk https://www.facebook.com/Foreverstill
See the band’s full profile page at http://www.zykotika.com/
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