Forests of Witchery

Forests of Witchery is the 1996 debut album from Thy Serpent, a project led by Sami Tenetz. Recorded at Tico-Tico Studio, a legendary hub for the Finnish metal sound, the album represents a pivotal moment in the development of melodic and symphonic black metal. While many 90s black metal acts focused on lo-fi production and satanic themes, Thy Serpent leaned into a high-fidelity, synth-driven approach that emphasized nature and melancholy. The album is notable for its long-form compositions, particularly the epic 'Like a Funereal Veil of Melancholy', which showcases the band's ability to blend doom metal pacing with black metal aesthetics. Released on Spinefarm Records, it became a cult success, selling over 8,000 copies and establishing Thy Serpent as a key architect of the 'Finnish sound' - one characterized by heavy keyboard presence and a distinct, sorrowful atmosphere that separates it from the more aggressive Swedish or Norwegian scenes.