Can't wait for this album, it should be awesome.

I personally really like the post-rock direction of Epoch. So if they continue that here, I won't be one to complain. On the other hand, I'd be more disappointed if they focused more on the "raw" sound. I personally would like to have a nice balance of both the "raw" and "atmospheric" sounds, just to change things up.

Please bring back the rough raw sound of the debut.

Written by InnerSelf on 13.07.2012 at 15:37

Please bring back the rough raw sound of the debut.

+1

In case someone is waiting for this album, it has leaked in the 192 kbps quality.

First play through. Seems like a mixture of the previous two albums. The first track deceptively gives the impression of a second Malediction Fields before it descends into heavy post-rock territory again. Not bad, needs more listens though.

It's kinda stuck between the landscapes of post-rock and the raw sound of black metal. The mysterious vibe is as present as ever before.

Damn, if the whole album was as good as opening track...

Disappointed as well, not that it's not good but they practically eliminated all the elements that made them the great band they were on their debut, they're now almost on the verge of mediocrity. Sadly.

I can't help but to agree with what have already been said. The first song showed some promise but unfortunately the rest of the album generally failed to impress me.

While I do feel that the album is a slight improvement compared to the previous one, it is still a far cry from the excellent debut.

Looks like we're all on the same page here. Great first track then a disappointing plummet.

Written by Guest on 23.01.2013 at 17:10

Looks like we're all on the same page here. Great first track then a disappointing plummet.

I disagree, I wouldn't call it a "disappointing plummet", but the first track is the best. A step up from their previous album if you ask me.

Written by Alex F on 23.01.2013 at 21:10

I disagree, I wouldn't call it a "disappointing plummet", but the first track is the best. A step up from their previous album if you ask me.

Perhaps a step up in the sense it contains one song that's reminiscent of their glorious demo =P

Man, I was hoping they would have a nice, even mixture of the two post-rock and black metal styles, but to me this album sounds really inconsistent. The last half (last three songs) is the weak point for me, as it is really underwhelming. "Hands of Dust" is the best song on the album for me (just what I wanted this album to sound like), but the other songs from the first half (Spectre, Consequence, and Reflections) are great too. "Wolf Sun" is sort of an awkward departure into more of an alternative style and that's where I really feel the disappointment seep in. Definitely the weakest of the trio of albums they have released thus far.

At first listen I am thinking I kinda like this shit. I will need a few more spins to completely digest this but I like the mixing of styles goin on here.

Written by Guest on 23.01.2013 at 17:10

Looks like we're all on the same page here. Great first track then a disappointing plummet.

You know, I think a lot of us would've thought different if someone played with the track listing. I mean Imagine what would've happened if we moved the first track to somewhere else.

I like The Malediction fields....

I have all of Fen's releases. Epoch and Dustwalker happen to be my most listened to of ALL their releases. I truly enjoy the direction they have gone. If you don't like the new stuff, don't listen to it.

Written by -DC-002- on 10.02.2013 at 12:15

I like The Malediction fields....

We all do mate, we all do ...

The pure mixture of post rock and atmospheric black with great melancholic moments and melody! just like AUSTERE / LAY LIKE OLD ASHES

Teetering on the brink of promise, this still isn't the story about the time that they delivered an album with a balanced and captivating mixture of genres.

I feel like I'm missing out on something big because I really digged the first track and have yet to listen to The Malediction Fields...

Written by Czerny Reiter on 23.03.2013 at 21:47

I feel like I'm missing out on something big because I really digged the first track and have yet to listen to The Malediction Fields...

You should listen to it asap if you like the first track.

Written by DavidAdamMeredith on 23.02.2013 at 09:58

I have all of Fen's releases. Epoch and Dustwalker happen to be my most listened to of ALL their releases. I truly enjoy the direction they have gone. If you don't like the new stuff, don't listen to it.

I'm glad that someone in this community shares this viewpoint. In my view, Epoch was masterful and incredibly well executed, whereas The Malediction Fields was great, but had little that was unique to offer to the genre. It also had some slightly weak clean vocals (which, unfortunately, this record sometimes inherits). This one has some glorious moments (Spectre) as well and some awesome moments of brutality (Hands of Dust), but it tends to get wound up in some post-metal that is slightly mundane or in black-metal cliches (Consequence). Overall, I think it is a excellent record and suffers simply by comparison to their own standards (the same problem with Alcest's newest). I'm a fan of their new sound, though, and I think it is a step in the right direction.

Written by Diverge on 30.03.2013 at 15:11

whereas The Malediction Fields was great, but had little that was unique to offer to the genre.

An interesting statement given that the black/post-rock movement as it were was barely in its infancy back when The Malediction Fields was released. Of course you had Alcest and a few of its ilk but they were always more indicative of a post-punk aesthetic rather than a post-rock one (and Agalloch of the neo-folk variety). Lantlos and Altar of Plagues may be comparable but I found their debuts to be far less effective, and Caina's 'Mourner' to be quite a different exercise in post-rock and black fusion. TMF to me is a spearhead record of sorts. I recall listening to it when it was first released and was taken aback as to how fresh and effective sounding it was for its time and I certainly believe it was one of the earliest bands to bring much of Ulver's 'Bergatt' into a new template. I can think of few better regarded or known modern bands (that haven't ridden on the coat-tails of Niege) that have been as important to the defining of the subgenre, so I would definitely dispute your notion that The Malediction Fields brought nothing new to the genre when it probably went pretty far in establishing or pioneering many of the ground rules the following year's worth of bands would follow

Since then the genre has more or less plummeted into homogeneity, Dustwalker being yet another example of 3rd rate throw-off of a massively saturated offshoot of black metal's modern creativity. The ultimate problem with this is that it caters more for a post-rock crowd than a black one; the problem being post-rock is probably deader and more creatively barren than any metal sub-genre, to my ears anyway. I can see why people would enjoy this though. For me however, it remains a creative and emotional cul-de-sac.

Written by Guest on 01.04.2013 at 14:14

Written by Diverge on 30.03.2013 at 15:11

whereas The Malediction Fields was great, but had little that was unique to offer to the genre.

An interesting statement given that the black/post-rock movement as it were was barely in its infancy back when The Malediction Fields was released. Of course you had Alcest and a few of its ilk but they were always more indicative of a post-punk aesthetic rather than a post-rock one (and Agalloch of the neo-folk variety). Lantlos and Altar of Plagues may be comparable but I found their debuts to be far less effective, and Caina's 'Mourner' to be quite a different exercise in post-rock and black fusion. TMF to me is a spearhead record of sorts. I recall listening to it when it was first released and was taken aback as to how fresh and effective sounding it was for its time and I certainly believe it was one of the earliest bands to bring much of Ulver's 'Bergatt' into a new template. I can think of few better regarded or known modern bands (that haven't ridden on the coat-tails of Niege) that have been as important to the defining of the subgenre, so I would definitely dispute your notion that The Malediction Fields brought nothing new to the genre when it probably went pretty far in establishing or pioneering many of the ground rules the following year's worth of bands would follow

Since then the genre has more or less plummeted into homogeneity, Dustwalker being yet another example of 3rd rate throw-off of a massively saturated offshoot of black metal's modern creativity. The ultimate problem with this is that it caters more for a post-rock crowd than a black one; the problem being post-rock is probably deader and more creatively barren than any metal sub-genre, to my ears anyway. I can see why people would enjoy this though. For me however, it remains a creative and emotional cul-de-sac.

I'm not trying to dispute the importance of Fen's debut record; admittedly, its sound at the time was revolutionary and it is a sound that thousands of bands are emulating right now based on Neige's "definition of the subgenre," as you so aptly put it. It's hard for listeners post-Ecailles de Lune Alcest (like myself) to truly appreciate The Malediction Fields, however, since it certainly has its own flaws (the clean vocals, in particular, ones that even appear on this record as well, the Agallochian similarities on display throughout the record, etc.). It offered a lot to the genre, but became the exact definition for this subgenre, with many other bands emulating them and starting the culture of homogeneity in shoegaze. I think that it's perhaps harsh to make Fen entirely responsible for the homogeneity of the subgenre, but I do think they are a reasonable factor.

And that's another thing that we differ upon-- I believe with every new record Fen have done a good job of separating themselves from every other shoegazey atmospheric black band, and the natural addition of post-metal to their music resulted in a sound I find more powerful, even if it isn't as revolutionary.

Written by Diverge on 01.04.2013 at 15:06

I'm not trying to dispute the importance of Fen's debut record; admittedly, its sound at the time was revolutionary and it is a sound that thousands of bands are emulating right now based on Neige's "definition of the subgenre," as you so aptly put it. It's hard for listeners post-Ecailles de Lune Alcest (like myself) to truly appreciate The Malediction Fields, however, since it certainly has its own flaws (the clean vocals, in particular, ones that even appear on this record as well, the Agallochian similarities on display throughout the record, etc.). It offered a lot to the genre, but became the exact definition for this subgenre, with many other bands emulating them and starting the culture of homogeneity in shoegaze. I think that it's perhaps harsh to make Fen entirely responsible for the homogeneity of the subgenre, but I do think they are a reasonable factor.

And that's another thing that we differ upon-- I believe with every new record Fen have done a good job of separating themselves from every other shoegazey atmospheric black band, and the natural addition of post-metal to their music resulted in a sound I find more powerful, even if it isn't as revolutionary.

Well I find it hard to reconcile this comment with that part of your original statement: that, despite being a somewhat revolutionary band, Fen bought nothing new to the table that was unique? That seems like a confused and contradictory analysis and one that is retrospectively comparing the albums that emerged after an album made its mark. Whether or not Fen is responsible for the stale state in which the post/black scene is in is neither here nor there, or particularly relevant. It would be like blaming an archetype like At The Gates for the abundance of metalcore clones who ripped off their riffs, or Killswitch Engage which popularised the melodic metalcore sound for the ensuing paint-by-numbers aesthetic bands employed because of them. It's not their fault and one can't reasonably judge a band from the aftermath it produces. It doesn't, or should denigrate the original. But they are at fault for their own subsequent works and I still don't see what Dustwalker brings to the table other than a heavy post-rock centric focus. Despite the weaknesses and some borrowing of style I'd take the ballsy sound of TMF over this, and I've no issue with people liking this over that, but I am concerned when people speak of the positive aspects of what is largely a derivative exercise whilst acutely downplaying or misrepresenting the originality of other albums from the same band

Written by Guest on 01.04.2013 at 16:03

Written by Diverge on 01.04.2013 at 15:06

I'm not trying to dispute the importance of Fen's debut record; admittedly, its sound at the time was revolutionary and it is a sound that thousands of bands are emulating right now based on Neige's "definition of the subgenre," as you so aptly put it. It's hard for listeners post-Ecailles de Lune Alcest (like myself) to truly appreciate The Malediction Fields, however, since it certainly has its own flaws (the clean vocals, in particular, ones that even appear on this record as well, the Agallochian similarities on display throughout the record, etc.). It offered a lot to the genre, but became the exact definition for this subgenre, with many other bands emulating them and starting the culture of homogeneity in shoegaze. I think that it's perhaps harsh to make Fen entirely responsible for the homogeneity of the subgenre, but I do think they are a reasonable factor.

And that's another thing that we differ upon-- I believe with every new record Fen have done a good job of separating themselves from every other shoegazey atmospheric black band, and the natural addition of post-metal to their music resulted in a sound I find more powerful, even if it isn't as revolutionary.

Well I find it hard to reconcile this comment with that part of your original statement: that, despite being a somewhat revolutionary band, Fen bought nothing new to the table that was unique? That seems like a confused and contradictory analysis and one that is retrospectively comparing the albums that emerged after an album made its mark. Whether or not Fen is responsible for the stale state in which the post/black scene is in is neither here nor there, or particularly relevant. It would be like blaming an archetype like At The Gates for the abundance of metalcore clones who ripped off their riffs, or Killswitch Engage which popularised the melodic metalcore sound for the ensuing paint-by-numbers aesthetic bands employed because of them. It's not their fault and one can't reasonably judge a band from the aftermath it produces. It doesn't, or should denigrate the original. But they are at fault for their own subsequent works and I still don't see what Dustwalker brings to the table other than a heavy post-rock centric focus. Despite the weaknesses and some borrowing of style I'd take the ballsy sound of TMF over this, and I've no issue with people liking this over that, but I am concerned when people speak of the positive aspects of what is largely a derivative exercise whilst acutely downplaying or misrepresenting the originality of other albums from the same band

What I'm trying to say (somewhat inadequately, I must admit) is that Fen's original music has not dated well; attempting to listen to Fen in their appropriate context as "originators" is somewhat difficult given the number of admirable clones that have arisen with their music, especially given the flaws of The Malediction Fields. Perhaps I'm not a great listener, but it is really hard to listen to an album in the context from which it has arisen. In all likelihood, you have more experience doing that than I do, since you listened to the Malediction Fields relatively close to when it was released. There is no doubt that aspects of it are revolutionary, but as a whole, I think that some of the subsequent copy-cats actually did a better job than Fen did with this style of music. I'm not trying to downplay the originality of the album; I personally don't feel that Fen's first album was as groundbreaking as everyone made it out to be. That is, their method of mixing styles was not as successful as it could have been. I feel badly that you have been disappointed by the other Fen albums; although they incorporate genres in a derivative way, I simply feel that, in Epoch's case, it is executed excellently (and by rounding using Metal Storm's grading scheme, I have indicated it was done perfectly). I'm not attempting to say "Epoch is original," because that would be an unfair assessment. I just think, aesthetically, they had a shoegaze-post-black metal mix on that record that I was strongly affected by.

The problems with this record for me occur when a) the clean vocal problems from the Malediction Fields return (since I admired the cleans on Epoch for some reason), and b) the post-metal aspects of the record are not done as naturally as they are done on Epoch/other defining albums. The album also has a huge problem momentum-wise; Epoch did a great job building momentum within the tracks/before the next track, and comparably, this album is one-dimensional in comparison. There are moments of fury and rage (Consequence), but I prefer the slower, more languid progressions of Epoch. I still think it is a very good record (not very far off from your own assessment), but it is one of those albums with a couple of great moments combined with minutes of monotony; from time to time, though, it is worthwile listening to in its entirety!

This album is mehhh for me. Nothing like their previous one.

Written by The Turbanator on 02.04.2013 at 08:10

This album is mehhh for me. Nothing like their previous one.

Oh Turb I thought for sure you'd dig this. Listen to it a few more times. It's a grower! I just listened to this album again 3 times in 3 days I love it!

Written by The Turbanator on 02.04.2013 at 08:10

This album is mehhh for me. Nothing like their previous one.

And by their previous one, I assume you mean Epoch.

Written by Diverge on 21.04.2013 at 01:49

Written by The Turbanator on 02.04.2013 at 08:10

This album is mehhh for me. Nothing like their previous one.

And by their previous one, I assume you mean Epoch.

Yup Epoch was fantastic.