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- ALBUM REVIEWS -
- F -
- FEN [2009] Malediction Fields -
Label: Code 666/Aural Music
Review by Mark Howitt
RATING: 8 \m/
When Black Metal was created, it was merely meant to be a form of dark ambience obtained with instruments. After Norwegian Black Metal was at its peak in the early-mid 90's, it seemed to create a worldwide surge of newer black metal bands that sounded very different than anything from its original region of origin. Fen has accomplished what black metal was always intended to sound like with their new album Malediction Fields. Using ambient tones rather than shifting classical inspired keyboard parts to achieve a dark sound while using perfectly crafted droning riffs. Malediction Fields is an album that all black metal fans should investigate into, as I am sure the follow up to this album will put them on a much higher position on the food chain. Fen is similar to bands like Negura Bunget, Drudkh, Agalloch and the likes yet contain their own sound almost entirely. This is perhaps because of their slight embrace with Post-Rock elements and ambient focus. If you are not familiar with Fen but enjoy the bands just listed then please do yourself a favor and order this album now. It will surely and quickly find its place amongst your most played albums of the year.
From the opening riff of Exile's Journey, to the epic outro of Bereft you are taken into a swirling spiral of perfectly crafted depressive and melodic black metal throughout the entire length of the album. The Malediction Fields continuously takes you only briefly into melodic passages, and then sweeping through buzzing riff after buzzing riff of dark harmonies similar to something one might hear from a band such as Watain. Each riff seems to keep you in tune with the raw perfection that is entering the confines of your skull cavity. Yet another noticeable attribute to Fen is their great bass incorporation. Whereas most bass lines on Black Metal albums remain similar to the guitar riffs, Fens bassist sweeps through each track harmonizing the riffs in non traditional fashion. Indeed it would be hard to pick a personal favourite song or to even highlight certain areas of the album because each song keeps you wanting more as it takes you on the journey through the fields of malediction. From front to finish, this album will remain spinning in my stereo for quite some time to come, and if you are a fan of the recent surge of post rock/black metal hybrids lurking amongst the horizon, then you shall surely enjoy what this band has to offer.
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