Fen’s magic is back in action.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the band led by Grungyn (bass/vocals, Crozier, Lost Legion, ex-Skaldic Curse…) The Watcher (guitar/vocals, Fellwarden, Lost Legion, Phaëthon, ex-Pantheïst, ex-Skaldic Curse…) and JG (drums, Craven Idol, Crom Dubh, ex-Aeternum…) is embarking on a new adventure with its eighth album, Elemental (Part 1: Mourning Earth).
The opening riffs slowly emerge, giving rise to the majestic Glacier, the album’s first track, which begins with an intoxicating clean sound followed by a few whispers, then growls and aggressive distortion—yet the contrast between all these elements remains constant, ensuring a dreamlike quality at every moment. The band retains its technical prowess, offering jagged yet polished patterns that harmoniously interlock with one another and occasionally reveal Prog roots before long atmospheric passages that lead into the heavier Tectonic, a track that seems slightly more dynamic at first glance and doesn’t hesitate to adorn itself with icy touches to complement its massive sound. The band also knows how to infuse the music with slightly more unsettling moments, whether through ghostly harmonics or keyboards, but you can sense that the vocals call the shots, guiding the progression toward Massif, which starts out strangely calm but slowly darkens to reveal its full potential once the first half is over. There’s no doubt that the striking dual vocals will make an impact, as will the misty softness of the opening moments of Abyssal Plain, a fairly short track that nonetheless takes the time to highlight its contrasts with an unapologetic aggression that stands in stark contrast to the clean vocals and the soaring, epic notes that weave together naturally. Barrow immediately offers a rather captivating approach, relying on jagged yet intriguing guitars that effortlessly capture our attention while the violence rages on, but there are also a few pockets of gentleness, like small lakes along a shaded path leading to the final track, Moor. Much longer than its predecessors, the track takes its time weaving a tapestry of sounds that are as heart-wrenching as they are crystalline, floating between darkness and light at will and carrying us along in its shifting current toward a moment of calm, then toward that grandiose finale.
I’ve always been pleasantly rewarded for waiting for a new Fen release, and you’ll easily understand that Elemental (Part 1: Mourning Earth) is no exception to the rule while leaving us to imagine that a sequel to this adventure might be coming our way very soon!
90/100