For those unfamiliar, Forest Swords is the recording alias of Merseyside, U.K. native Matthew Barnes. And in 2009, he made a sizable impact with his Dagger Paths EP, though he was forced to take some time away from music due to hearing issues and he focused on design and art. But his love for music never subsided and he got to work on his debut album, Engravings, while collaborating with How to Dress Well and Haleek Maul, among others.
And on Aug. 26, Tri Angle will release Engravings for all the world to hear. So far, Barnes has shared two single, “Thor’s Stone” and now “The Weight of Gold”. While we admittedly slept on the former, we quickly stopped snoozing when “The Weight of Gold” hit our inbox. This is an expansive, brilliantly layered piece with haunting vocals, reverberating guitars, and just enough hard-hitting percussion to bring it all home.
You can hear “The Weight of Gold” and view the track listing below.