JOYLESS is the Norwegian band that had two albums out under the name FORGOTTEN WOODS, then at least paid some respect to their audience by changing their name along when they changed their style.

”Unlimited Hate” is an over 70 minutes long compilation of material actually, with three songs from F.W. era, three new JOYLESS songs and a MOTÖRHEAD cover (”Don’t Need Religion”).

The old FORGOTTEN WOODS stuff is a facsimile of old BURZUM with all the melancholic screaming and angst but not the occultic undertones – FORGOTTEN WOODS always felt like a more intellectual and urban band, not like forest devil worshippers, and the new JOYLESS direction quite a lot proves this. Now the lyrics aren’t anymore about ”Winter” or ”Dimension of the Blackest Dark”, now they are about how ”this existence is so absurd” and ”normal people – seeking happiness”.

The JOYLESS tracks still have those darkly hypnotic rock riffs that FORGOTTEN WOODS used to emulate BURZUM with, but in many tracks they present a very light and clean direction somewhere between gothic rock and brit-pop.

© 2000 black hate