Ancient Sorrow

The EP seems to be the format of choice for new bands to showcase their developing music and songwriting skills and this particular EP "Ancient Sorrow" demonstrates in three songs the potential that UK band Fen has in creating stirring and dramatic music that draws on black metal and post-rock as its main influences. First track "Desolation Embraced" has a great deal of power and majestic range to which the cold and icy BM singing adds a sharp sculptured edge. Both clean-toned melodic guitar and harsh buzzing BM guitar are used and these tend to balance each other especially on the main riff, giving the song an uplifting and grand yet melancholic feel. This is an excellent song indeed.

"The Gales Scream of Loss' is a much more urgent song with sharp staccato jazzy drumming that makes the heart skip a beat in contrast with the continuously buzzing tremolo BM guitar and whispered BM vocals seared with evil intent against a background clean-voiced choir humming with sadness. This song is a fine example of how two genres of music contrast each other, each style bringing out the most extreme characteristics of the other style. The BM elements end up sounding extra grim and icy and the post-rock elements are warm and together give the music depth and atmosphere.

"Under the Endless Sky" is a lumbering heavy beast that incorporates fast drumming at times and now includes plaintive droning keyboards in the background while maintaining the BM elements of the previous songs. Acoustic guitar is included as well. The entire feel of the song is downcast and gloomy. Halfway through the song changes with all instruments except the BM guitar pausing for a while, then when they all resume the bass guitar starts to pursue its own melody. The percussion becomes more complex while still plodding along and the keyboard tones push to the fore. Technically this song is more involved and complex than the previous tracks and has a richer sound but is not as emotionally moving. While the drumming tends to stand out here, the riffs seem less impressive than on the other songs.

Overall this is a good glimpse of what Fen can offer at this point in their career and I do think they can offer more, especially in atmospheric and emotionally powerful BM / post-rock, than what appears on the EP. The balance between glacial BM and warm post-rock seems about right and the band exploit the contrast in the two styles well. There is scope for experimenting and manipulating the BM vocals with effects to make them more hissy and cutting so that the music can acquire a sharper edge still. It seems to me that the band may be heading in an Isis-like spacious heavy guitar direction as indicated by the third track and that would allow for many opportunities for experimental improvisation if the guys are so inclined. No doubt some very compelling music may come out of that!