Review by Saxy S for Fen - Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth (2026)

...Okay I may have lied.

In my review of Saidan's Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory's Wrist, I said something along the lines of "black metal has been in a rough patch lately where I have nothing to look forward to." And I still stand by that statement, however there was one upcoming released that I totally overlooked: the new (double) album by British atmo-black group Fen, Elemental.

Fen has been at the top of my list of black metal groups for almost a decade. Their songwriting prowess is elite and they are able to make it work over such a smoky texture as this. Their newest album, Mourning Earth is the first of two albums in the Elemental series and if this first half is any indication, Fen have stepped up their writing chops here!

The bands previous two albums: The Dead Light and Monuments to Absence felt like they lost some of Fen's most pronounced features through their previous output. Songs were shorter and they took on a more progressive approach rather than crushing the listener with despair seemingly forever. With Mourning Earth, the songs get shorter again, but the dynamic approach has been restored. A song like "Massif" has a constant crescendo that leaves you begging for the release and when it does, it hits hard. And it also helps to prepare for later on in the record, such as when the thrashier riffing takes over during "Barrow".

It's hard to say at this moment in time, but Mourning Earth makes for a great addition to Fen's discography. But with it being the first half of a double album, that opinion could change with the release of part 2. As of right now, it is the most concise Fen have sounded since Winter while also growing on a progressive level. But will this momentum carry into part 2, or will it be a case of The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness? Only time will tell.

Best Songs: Tectonic, Massif, Abyssal Plain, Barrow

For Fans of: Wolves in the Throne Room, Enslaved, Agalloch