THE Forest of Dean has provided the atmospheric setting for a new music video from rising alternative metal band Prodigal.

The UK group have used the Forest as the backdrop for the video accompanying their latest single Pulling Apart, which has been released alongside the announcement of their forthcoming EP The Floating World.

Described as a “Blair Witch-esque trip through the Forest of Dean”, the video uses the area’s woodland to create an increasingly dark and unsettling setting.

It is presented in the style of recovered found footage, following the band as their surroundings appear to gradually consume them and their journey descends into madness.

The distinctive Forest landscape provides the setting for the psychedelic horror-inspired video, which accompanies one of five tracks on the band’s forthcoming EP.

The Floating World is due to be released on October 2 through Deep Love Recordings, In Bloom and Nu Metal Agenda Worldwide.

Pulling Apart follows the group’s previous single The Door and showcases Prodigal’s combination of alternative metal and experimental sounds.

The new EP was largely recorded live, with further additions made following the initial recording sessions to develop the band’s raw sound.

There is another Gloucestershire connection behind the project, with The Floating World recorded in the band’s home surroundings of Stroud.

The isolation surrounding those recording sessions is said to have helped shape the sound of the five-track release.

The EP opens with The Door and also features Drowned, Opium-12, Pulling Apart and Undue.

Prodigal have been building a reputation in the UK alternative metal scene, with the forthcoming EP being billed as the band's biggest statement so far.

However, Forest viewers may be particularly interested in the accompanying visuals for Pulling Apart.

The area's ancient woodland has regularly provided a location for television, film and other productions thanks to its distinctive scenery.

For Prodigal, the Forest becomes considerably more sinister.

The video uses the woodland rather than a traditional performance setting, with the found-footage concept following the musicians deeper into their surroundings as the atmosphere becomes progressively stranger.

The result places one of Gloucestershire's most recognisable landscapes at the heart of the band's latest release.

With Prodigal themselves based nearby in Stroud, the video also gives the project a strong Gloucestershire identity ahead of the EP's release next month.

The Floating World will be released on Friday, October 2.

The Forest has long been attractive to filmmakers because its dense woodland can quickly create a sense of isolation, and Prodigal have leaned into that quality for the new release.

Rather than simply using local scenery as a backdrop, the setting forms an important part of the video's story and atmosphere as the band move through the trees.

That gives the release a clear local point of interest for Forest music fans, even though the band themselves come from elsewhere in Gloucestershire.

The video is available alongside the single ahead of the full EP arriving in October, when listeners will be able to hear all five tracks from the project.