Fen - Winter - review
Fen - Winter - review
Tracklist
Disc I01. 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
A review by
Windrider March 29, 2017
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.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 7 |
Written by Windrider | March 29, 2017
Comments
Comments:
9
Visited by
222 users
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Posts: 1239  |
Posts: 1239
Good review, although I rated it much higher, I agree with most of what you say.  "As all songs are quite extended, it is still rather hard to keep the music in the head after it has stopped." ^ has always been the problem for me with Fen, and with most post-black bands. It didn't stick in my head, but it was a super-enjoyable listen for me.
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 Posts: 8681 |
Posts: 8681
Yeah, I'd rate it higher but I think it's a very fair review. It is extremely long and not all that memorable for the length, but still generally a very enjoyable listen throughout. Still think Carrion Skies is a cut above it
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Posts: 3554  |
Posts: 3554
Agree that the album suffers from being lengthy. I would have been a bit harsher though, as I didn't really find any standout moments to latch onto. Very average album in my opinion.
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 Posts: 64499 |
Posts: 64499
If BVM is inspired and all about nature as Fen is then its good in every season even in hot summer day, Nordic people know what I mean, no music in tropical beach ... well I like this band and album, nice words, a bit DerRoz way
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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 Posts: 3472 |
Posts: 3472
"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?" Maybe they're marketing towards us in the southern hemisphere?
---- "I'm here to nunchuck and not wear helmets. And I'm all out of helmets." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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 Posts: 684 |
Posts: 684 Written by M C Vice on 02.04.2017 at 10:07 I actually wanted to add that, but then dropped it again to see who will notice first. Congrats! 
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 Posts: 5289 |
Posts: 5289
Holy fuck is this sound stripped down to bare-bones atmospheric black metal. As elementary as it could get. As far away from Dustwalker as possible. I spun it once, not sure if I like the direction. Of course me being the biggest Fen apologist in the world I will surely give it more time. Excellent review and thanks.
---- rekt
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 Posts: 8266 |
Posts: 8266
It's really rare that an album this long justifies its running time and Winter is no exception. Some very good ideas and beautiful atmosphere, but really dragging on in a way that makes me hesitant to play it more than 4-5 times. Shame because there is a lot of potential in it. Very good review.
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Posts: 96  |
Posts: 96
I really love Fen and also this album. The writer of the review gave them 6 on originality, yet wrote "Overall, Fen deliver an authentic and very atmospheric album " . Doesn't authentic count to considerable originality?
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