News From The Invisible World by The Fierce & The Dead
Release date: July 28, 2023Label: Spencer Park Music
Hard to believe, but it’s been nearly six years after The Fierce And The Dead released a new album after their third studio album, The Euphoric in 2018. They’ve been around for 13 years, carrying on like a band of brothers keeping their sound going. Not only they played in the UK, but Europe, America, and supporting bands such as Crippled Black Phoenix and Hawkwind. Followed by festivals from Ramblin’ Man, Freak Valley, RoSFest (Rites of Spring Music Festival), and Prognosis.
Their first three albums had instrumental paths that’ll make you want to be on the edge of your seat, hypnotised by the sound, the mystery, and the mysticism that’ll make you want to say, “What the hell was that?” The band’s latest album News From The Invisible World which features vocals for the first time from bassist Kevin Feazey, they really upped their game level for the Invisible World to be explored.
And with Fables alumni Mark Buckingham returning once more to create artwork for the band’s new album, it definitely tells a story. Clocking in at 42 minutes, the fourth album is like a crystal ball, revealing all of the tricky times we had to endure when the world came to a screeching halt, three years ago.
Feazey’s chanting spoken dialog on ‘The Start’ sets up the overture-sque refrain; “First, we see colours all around / And nobody is making a sound / But yeh we’re holding on to that thought / The one where we make it into the spotlight and we are the start of it all!” Once the clock strikes at midnight, all hell has broken loose to break out into a frenzy.
‘Shake The Jar’ walks into a rumbling arrangement, followed by a sludging grind with some post-rock attacks that Stevens brings in by creating a spaced-out journey for Cleaton and Marshall to join in while Feazey’s fuzzed-tone bass, gets this place cooking. Just as everything goes according to plan, the place erupts into a chaotic world by hanging on to a ‘Golden Thread’.
There’s the film-noir atmosphere, call-and-response midsection, early thrash, and The Cure’s Pornography-era mixed in with some Mogwai and King Crimson approaches that is right in our alley before putting on their new wave clothes and platform boots to raise more noise between ‘Photogenic Love’ and ‘Wonderful’.
The fifth track adds that swirling glam-rock texture with a soaring midsection, heading across our galaxy while Terry Edwards’ brass arrangements become a punch-out to give the band members some brainstorming ideas. Then it’s a calming mood for Marshall to give the band a chance to relax with the themes of insanity for the ‘Non-Player’ to occur.
It has some real vibes of Gazpacho’s Demon-era that comes to mind as you can see the word “Kscope” written all over this composition. Then, they return to the doom metal world once more with an ambient surrounding on ‘What a Time to Be Alive’.
With ignited grooves from the round tables of Electric Wizard, T. Rex’s Tanx period, and Black Sabbath with shrieking frets going batshit crazy, you can tell Matt and Steve are channeling each other to see who can make it to the finish line. But adding that E.L.O section in the closing segment, makes it even more surreal.
The aftermath of what we just occurred on ‘Nostalgia Now’ closes the Invisible World with a mournful remembrance as the years, weeks, and months pass you by. The Fierce And The Dead have come back with even more electricity that’s running inside their veins, and getting more pumped-up to surprise fans on what to expect in the weeks to come.
