Fen - The Dead Light (2019)^{Release ID: 15141}

To say that I have been anticipating this album would be an understatement!

To those uninitiated, Fen are a black metal band from London whose 2017 album, Winter is one of only a handful of albums that I could describe as “flawless”. Why? Well because it reminds me so much of Agalloch’s stunning album The Mantle from 2002. But where that album felt like the soundtrack to a beautiful cottage country that has just been dusted with a large amount of perfect, untouched snow, Fen’s album was more like a freezing rain that has covered everything in a coat of ice. Sure, it looks gorgeous and makes for some incredible photo opportunities, but then comes the realization that all of it will collapse under the additional weight brought by the ice, leaving behind an almost apocalyptic trail behind it. Both Winter and The Mantle are albums that should be held in equal regard, but for very different reasons.

So when I heard that Fen were working on a new album, you could see that I wanted to be one of the first to hear it. But I hindered my expectations a little bit; because nothing, no matter how hard the band tried, could ever live up to the astronomical heights that Winter delivered. So how is The Dead Light?

Well, it’s pretty damn great! But I was a little bit surprised to hear the branching directions that this group decided to take with this project. This one seems to borrow extensively from progressive metal as well as post-metal. There are even some sections that sound like they could have been borrowed from classic death and thrash metal. I don’t even know if “black metal” would be the proper genre definition for this album.

But the real question is how does it all fit? Surprisingly well actually. First and foremost, “The Dead Light Pt. 1” essentially kicks off the album after the extended intro “Witness”, by introducing us to odd time signatures and tempo changes. At first, you may feel a little surprised by how unprepared these transitions are, but before you know it, the band returns to the original idea with a seamless delivery. I really enjoyed how the group managed to take multiple themes and put them together and make them work. It also includes alternating passages of palm muted guitar chugging patterns, and the open tremolo picking and melodic phrases that have always been one of Fen’s strongest assets. Once again, how the group is able to compliment these sections and have them sound so good together is a nod to their songwriting prowess.

In addition to the actual construction of these songs, the production and instrumentalists need some due diligence. The bass (Grungyn) sounds phenomenal, as it usually does on Fen records. And the percussion work (Havenless) is pummeling when it needs to be, such as on the relentless song “Breath of Void”, but also relaxed and restrained when it needs to be as well such as the slower grinds of “Labyrinthine Echoes” and “Rendered in Onyx”. Lyrically, this album seems to be giving more attention to The Watcher’s clean singing. It isn’t impressive, but it doesn’t have to be. Maybe these sections could have been pushed forward in the mix a little bit more, or could have been moved to the slower, shoegaze sections.

Which leads us into the concept of dynamic control and where bands such as Fen and Saor are running circles around everyone else in extreme metal at the moment. Their attention to detail is superb and not enough can be said about how the transitions between sections and how they are intended to force the listener into restraint and control as they wait uncomfortably for the quieter sections to conclude and for the loud sections to return. The transitions aren’t as good as Winter, but they still sound quite excellent. Which is probably why the song “Breath of Void” is probably my least favourite on the project; it’s the least diverse on an album that has quite diverse styles, themes and emotions.

So in conclusion, The Dead Light is pretty great, but I didn’t expect anything else. The album is a breeze to get through despite what the total runtime might suggest. Each track has its moments that are uniquely Fen, but with enough new ideas and themes to keep longtime fans on their toes. It certainly isn’t Winter, but it is a light that you should definitely be following.