Band:	Fen
Album:	Winter
Style:	Post-rock, Atmospheric black metal
Release date:	March 17, 2017
A review by:	Windrider

Disc I
01. I (Pathway)
02. II (Penance)
03. III (Fear)
04. IV (Interment)
05. V (Death)
06. VI (Sight)

Disc II [bonus]
01. The Keening Soils
02. Sight (Reprise)
03. Penumbral Whispers
04. Temples Beyond The Shoreline

Now that spring is approaching us again with flowers in bloom and birds singing, Fen from the ever-so-rainy United Kingdom deliver us their new album, called Winter. A little late maybe? However, every season is a good season for atmospheric black metal and therefore we shall not hesitate to take a closer look.

Winter brings us six new songs with a whopping total playing time of 75 minutes, so better sit down and treat yourself well while enjoying this one. Throughout the album a typical atmospheric black metal sound together with some strong post-metal influences is maintained; from eerie soundscapes to intense and roaring stuff there is quite a bunch of styles to witness, yet in a very consistent way. Fen's biggest advantage seems to be their authenticity; the performance is very much aligned with the mood they deliver with their music, so one thinks they truly express how they feel in real life, and this makes it easy for the listener to get dragged into these somber atmospheres.

As all songs are quite extended, it is still rather hard to keep the music in the head after it has stopped. This unfortunately also comes from a lack of outstanding moments, like, for example, in "II (Penance)" during the crushing vocal part "All shall fall, all shall fail!" in remembrance of Immortal's last album, or during the very last seconds of "VI (Sight)", where the real climax of the album is reached. While we're at it, I should mention that the vocals are probably the best part on Winter, as they deliver most of the feeling with their versatility.

The sound of the album is good, but could be a bit punchier in some instrumental parts, like during that nice bass line in the second song (you'll know what I mean when you listen to it). A big issue still is the overall length, as most songs sound similar and if you don't focus on the music it just keeps lapping in the background. This is the essential problem of many lengthy albums, which I tried to explain in my last review; it makes it very hard for the listener to come back to it and really "work" his way through the songs.

Overall, Fen deliver an authentic and very atmospheric album that could at times be more punchy and suffers a bit from its own length, yet fans of the genre will find their way to enjoy this piece of music. A personal favorite track would be "III (Fear)", which definitely has the coolest guitar parts and gathers all positive attributes of Winter. The last praise, however, has to go to the incredible cover artwork, which will definitely be a candidate for the next Metal Storm Awards.