Toward the Castle

Fear of Eternity is a one-man project from Italy in the vein of BURZUM and XASTHUR. Fans of this type of Black Metal may describe it as minimalist, but the only aspect of this album that is minimal is the tone. “Toward the Castle” invokes feelings of only sadness and trepidation. Listeners will not hear this album and want to do cartwheels in a flowery field. Songs like “The Valley of Sadness,” “Crying,” and “Melancholy Rain” will never be heard on the John Tesh radio show.


Right from the beginning, FOE sets the tone with the album’s artwork, which depicts a ruinous ancient castle looming in the gloom of the gray, lightning-streaked sky. Because the castle is seen from the ground, its presence is much more fear inspiring. A closer look at the castle’s window will reveal a ghost-like figure. FOE sole member, Andrea Tilenna maintains the spirit of melancholy through his use of staggering vocal effects, layers of keyboards that hover around the speakers like a ghost at a séance, and frigid guitar ambiance.


The vocals are the most frightening element with one of the best Black Metal echoes this side of Mysticum. They sound like a shimmering spirit voicing a cryptic warning. The keyboards are of pure cinematic horror quality, and at times recall classic horror film scores like “Halloween” and “Phantasm.” . The repetitious bass line combined with the phantasmagoric keyboards is reminiscent of the first funeral scene in “Phantasm.” Because of the horror film score quality of the keyboards, many critics have compared FOE to Goblin.


FOE is another quality Black Metal act from America’s premier Black Metal label, Moribund records. Moribund’s target audience seems to be supporters of raw, blasphemous Black Metal. FOE fits into the minimalist and gothic brand of this genre for its simple notes and low-fi, yet palatable production. FOE can also be termed “Suicidal Black Metal,” and grouped with pro-death bands like Bethlehem. “Toward the Castle” is for all the melancholic souls; however, do not play this one right after leaving the behavioral health ward of the hospital.