UK black metal band A Forest Of Stars have unleashed a remarkable single/lyric video, "Ascension Of The Clowns", based on the original paintings of lead vocalist Curse, as the first single from their forthcoming album, Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface, slated for release on 8 May via Prophecy Productions.

A Forest Of Stars' vocalist Curse "Ascension Of The Clowns": "This song is written from the perspective of a person whose mental state has hit rock bottom. A person who is at the mercy of addiction and who has wasted away amidst the sheer wealth of chemicals available to assist their self-destruction. This person is watching the world crumble into soundbites and computer generated reality. All around them, fools stand on pedestals, building upon foundations of lies with bricks of self importance. The person is watching as kindness becomes selfishness and beauty becomes ugliness. They see little hope of change".

A Forest Of Stars are the physical manifestation of what can confidently be called "British black metal". Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface, the band's grandiose sixth full-length, is the sonic expression of this distinct and discernible local variant of the genre.

The forthcoming full-length sends its tendril-like roots deep into British musical soil. In his recitative mode, vocalist Curse is even reminiscent of electro poet Anne Clark, after a steady diet of prescription drugs and rusty nails. On the other hand, his singing voice evokes memories of a young Martin Walkyier. The impressive command of the English language by that great metal bard, his plentiful plays on words and subtle multi-layered meanings also have a place in the poetic lyrics of A Forest Of Stars – yet in different, often far more neo-dadaist ways, in which tiny twists of spelling can have surprisingly dark effects.

Another sonic pillar on which Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface stands is Katheryne's (aka Queen of the Ghosts) violin. Her melodies, time and time again, build beautiful bridges over the dissonant churning of electric guitars as they gloriously luxuriate in the chaos they create. While there is, of course, precedent for the use of the violin in UK metal with Skyclad and – much closer to home – My Dying Bride leading the charge, Katheryne clearly paves her own way and offers a hand to guide the listener along the thorny metal path.

A Forest Of Stars have used their temporary hiatus well, diligently creating a collection of songs, taking as long as was needed to hone their craft, to the point of discarding an entire finished album and starting again from scratch. Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface brilliantly balances the utter insanity of our time, sardonic humour, and dark stories, effortlessly shifting between black metal tradition and genius innovation with zero regard for any arbitrary rules imposed on the genre. Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface is undoubtedly pure A Forest Of Stars: complex, catchy, contradictory – and completely individualistic. Welcome to British black metal! Link