Fen is the latest band that I've gotten a couple of records from to fulfill the nostalgia trip. When The Malediction Fields first came out I was instantly drawn to the band. I had explored post rock a few years back and found the build and release mechanisms utilized by the genre to be fascinating. When I heard Fen I heard those same principles utilized within a black metal context. It instantly clicked.
The songs that Fen wrote on their debut album have a tremendous sense of scope. The song knows exactly where it is going at all times and every passage helps drive the song further in that direction. The transitions from distortion to clean guitars is frequent and almost always handled effortlessly.
The band also works as a complete unit here. No one tries to stand above the others, there is no showmanship... only a cohesive unit. It's done so well that the music sweeps me off my feet when I listen. It has this natural sway to it that draws me in... I can't help but bob my head as the band goes through their riffs.
I can't emphasize this enough... the band has truly mastered what it means to play as a whole. As I'm writing this As Buried Spirits Stir is playing... one guitar is playing a melody on an acoustic, the other guitar is playing distorted open chords, the bass player is galloping beneath the main riff and the drummer is in time with the bass. It's a massive sound, and it has me enthralled.
The Malediction Fields is a hell of a debut album. It's wholly black metal in execution however it utilizes some of the tension and release principles from post rock the the maximum effect. Fen had my curiosity before this release, after it the had my undivided attention.
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