Forest Factory - Forest Factory

Forest Factory

Forest Factory
self-released; 2022

​3.8 out of 5

By Matt Jensen
​

Forest Factory is a collaborative effort by brothers Jeremy and Timothy Vajda, based in St. Louis, MO. The duo have worked together in a variety of situations over the years while also pursuing their individual musical paths. Their collaboration led to a three-song self- titled EP Forest Factory. The songs are instrumental and for the most part rock based.

The EP starts with “Free for All'' however I did notice this sequential order is only on Bandcamp. On “Free For All” you are greeted with an atmospheric and ambient soundscape at first. The vibe is calming and serene. Once the rhythm section comes into the picture the energy picks up which doesn't take long. I thought the guitar and electric piano provided the main focal melodies to the song. As the song progresses it definitely gains more traction with a couple of short breakdowns which showcase some of the dynamics. Every time the song comes back in full the guitar work feels more kinetic. It’s a solid song with well-performed parts.

“King's Highway” is next and this starts with a count off from a cowbell and then launches into a lead guitar driven section. Soft pads swell, an additional acoustic guitar is strummed and there is a steady sounding drum beat. The feeling here is a bit pensive and serene but it also felt hopeful to my ears. 

Last up is “Last Stand” which is a little over nine-minutes long. This song starts off orchestral and slightly psychedelic which is created with some of the guitar work. Pink Floyd came to mind more on this song. The beat and groove comes in a little before a minute-and-a-half in. This song felt like it had the most energy yet and orchestral pads made it feel like it was building. The crescendos are subtle but effective. Around the four-minute mark you get some real nice melodies. I loved the strings as well as what sounded like a xylophone. This song felt more like it was giving individuals moments to shine and does so seamlessly. The grand finale comes around the eight-minute mark with guitar providing some impressive lead and orchestral strikes.

As an engineer myself the songs have a certain aesthetic. It sounded like a combination of organic and virtual instruments. That created an almost ’80s like sound not too far from Peter Gabriel where the songs feel locked into a metronome. 

​Overall, I thought there was a lot to appreciate with this release. The songs were well written and hopefully this is just a taste of what’s to come.

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