THE CHANT OF TREES is a Meditative Folk Metal band from France. This is the side project of Zahaah, lead vocalist and guitarist of Black Viking Metal band HIMINBJORG. He surrounded himself with some close friends and lovers of Folk Metal and decided to branch out and create a project that is close to his heart. It's an album full of traditional folk instruments mixed in with some modern twists.

First of all I never heard anything about the band and the subgenre, Meditative Folk Metal. I guess there is a first for everything and all I know is that you have a lot of smooth passages with the traditional instruments. I also heard it's akin to some of the Celtic music we have heard the last few years, including David Arkenstone. It's a much more condensed and smooth way to structure their songs but you have the Metal elements thrown in for good measure. It's a big departure from the main man's Black Metal project to say the least.

You do have your metal elements but it's mainly something quite relaxing actually. Being a band that is very close to nature, THE CHANT OF TREES is like communion with the forest and nature. This type of music can be used for work, studying, relaxing, calming your nerves, it has a lot of great elements for the listener. You can't always be a 24 hours, 7 days a week Heavy Metal enthusiast, sometimes it's fun to decompress after a long day or if you need some thinking to do, this is the type of music you can put on in the background.

It has those Post-Rock elements, the breakdowns at times do resemble bands in that genre and most of the time as for the vocals, they are spoken word. I felt it was a nice touch and it really is music for the soul. Some people can consider their music as Ambient music and it's nothing like I thought it would be. I can compare them to the most calm period of RADIOHEAD, during the ''Kid A'' days, it's the type of music you really need at times. I can hear a bit of PORCUPINE TREE also, some songs do have that calming sound of the more easy listening period of that great band.

It's definitely a unique band, branching to something akin to relaxation music and adding some spoken word. Their music is something to soothe the battered soul, the restless body and it's a nice way to drift away from anything that is bothering you. It can be at the forefront or simply in the background but this music touches you deeply. Some people get their fill when walking in nature through a warm autumn breeze, this album does the same for your soul.