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Released on November 24, 2014 via Code666/Aural Music
It seems that Fen are one of those bands in black metal circles causing divided opinions upon many. Cynics out there will point out that there are bands out there that do the whole ‘floaty forests folk black metal thing’ with far more polish, and they usually always quote Agalloch, Winterfylleth, Drudkh and Negura Bunget first and foremost. Personally, I’ve so far enjoyed Fen as equally as those bands outlined (and others that I haven’t listed) and have followed them since The Malediction Fields, where their brand of ‘floaty forests folk black metal’ drew me in, hook line and sinker. I’ve followed their progress as they’ve gone along, and I’m pleased to discover that Carrion Skies was available in the Ech(((o)))es and Dust staffroom notice board.
To my ears, I’ve noticed that some subtle progression in their musicianship from the Epoch album, which was built further with the release of Dustwalker in 2013 – an album that added further dynamics to their often hypnotic black metal brew. Firstly, they aim with a double pronged attack – kicking off with ‘Our Names Written in Embers Part One’; beginning with acoustic chords then aiming for a sudden crisp and charging attack. This sounds somewhat deeper and more powerful than previously heard songs with rousing melodic chord changes, clean vocals and a mix of quieter passages that we’d normally expect from Fen. Fading guitar squeals lead dramatically into ‘Our Names Written in Embers Part Two’, filled with interesting melodious chord changes and a distinct driving bass pattern, that adds a level of power that I’ve not heard as prominent compared to previous albums; sounding as emotive and dramatic as ever.
‘The Dying Stars’ continues along a similar path, with strong driving guitar riffs that takes twists and turns with acoustic passages, while ‘Sentinels’ makes for a very moody and melancholic number half way through the album. Clean guitars permeate the beginning, with a sense of wistfulness that is beautifully composed along with a catchy bass line – leading to a full on heart felt anthemic charge that brings together a feeling of desolation that is up there with a style reminding me of the more aggressive bits of mid period Enslaved. At times, the movement of the whole track has a definite prog rock influence that catches the ear, and is certainly a stand out track that’s very powerful and worth investigating in its own right.
‘Mehir – Supplicant’ opens with eerie sounding chords, but then attacks the listener with a full on assault of pounding guitar and icy black metal riffing with a compelling drive and flourish. The eerie sounding chords come back half way through the tune like the ending of a storm, then leading back to a dramatic paced attack. Lastly, ‘Gathering of Stones’ is a grittier track that ends the album as a foot to the floor attack demonstrating how Fen perform at full tilt, backed by a mix of painfully howled and clean vocals and driving guitar rhythms similar to that of earlier works. However, to some ears the vocals on this track do feel at odds with the mix and don’t entirely gel together as well as they should. Which could spoil the album to some depending on how fussy the listener is, and feel like a clunky closer just to get the recording of the album out of the way.
To conclude, Fen are a very competent band that would file quite nicely next to the likes of Agalloch, Winterfylleth, Negura Bunget, Drudkh and so on in your collection. As much as I enjoyed the album, I do get the impression that at times it can work very well indeed (‘The Dying Stars’ and ‘Sentinels’ are perfect examples of Fen performing at their best). But, some tracks do feel a bit roughly composed around the edges that do need to be chamfered off; so that they integrate better with the whole structure of the album. However, such things aren’t necessarily a deal breaker in the realms of black metal, and rough edges are often expected and desired. People that weren’t really into Fen in the first place will struggle with this album, but personally it’s worth checking out and giving the benefit of the doubt. As a fan, there is definite improvement and I found it to be an enjoyable slice of ‘floaty forests folk black metal’. To be enjoyed on those autumn nights when you wistfully stare out of the window and remember better times, with a fire going and a glass of mulled wine. It’s that sort of an album.
