Fen - "Dustwalker" CD

Progressive black metal with psychedelic and post-rock touches

I'm sure that "tried & true" traditional black metal still has it's audience, but increasingly, bands are looking to move beyond this now-stereotyped, even over-done style. British act Fen are one of those groups who transcend the genre, while remaining rooted in it.

"Dustwalker" begins with the darkly atmospheric black metal of "Consequence". The second track, however, "Hands Of Dust", enters an entirely different arena, with moody, droning guitars alongside the feral black metal vocals. It seems Fen are straddling and blurring the lines dividing traditional black metal and what's been termed "post-rock". "Spectre" is even more tuneful, sounding like an old English folk song ala Syd Barrett. The track branches out into a spacious, post-Pink Floyd cosmic trip, even. "Wolf Sun" brings it back into a more heavy rock-based realm, returning with the blackened vocals and a straightforward guitar-and-drums orientation. The 13-minute closer, "Walking The Crowpath", meanders from Nephilim-style darkness to progressive melodic rock, and tends to get bogged down in it's own miasma. 

Nonetheless,"Dustwalker" is a strong album and definitely a fresh direction. 

Code666

Fenbook

Nachtvorst - "Silence" CD

Forward-thinking post-doom-black metal with swirl and drone...

Nachtvorst are a Rotterdam, Holland-based duo, and their second album, "Silence", shows a remarkable ear for texture and mood, especially for a black doom metal-oriented act. Opening with the epic 11-minute "The Serpent's Tongue", Nachtvorst combine the bewitching ferocity of black metal with classical, drone, post-rock, and electronic textures. "After..." is a lovely piano and string-laden instrumental interlude that shows these guys have skills and interests well beyond the usual, and the album opens up deeper from there.

"Nightwinds" is a moody, atmospheric 9-minute drone/post-metal that strikes hard, while the depressive "Gentle Notice Of A Final Breath" could be a distant cousin of Mono, building to a crushing crescendo before....the track simply cuts off. Not cool. A terrible shame, especially considering this may have been the album's high point. "A Way Of Silence" closes it out with 14 minutes of mid-tempo atmospheres, from speedy thrash to mopey, melodic darkwave. It's a strong track, to be sure, taking us on a journey across a landscape of sorrow and loss. A brilliant ending to a strong, but flawed album.

Code666 / Aural Music

Nachtvorst site

Nachtvorstspace

Negura Bunget - "Virstele Pamintului" CD

This veteran pagan black metal outfit from Romania has definitely evolved far beyond the stereotypical with this album, which as I understand is their first with a new lineup and new vocalist. Exploring the band's native roots with plenty of synthesizers and folk melodies, "Virstele Pamintului" opens with the surprisingly atmospheric soundtrack of "Pamint", which comes complete with flutes and a very Earthly, primitive vibe. Only within the final couple of minutes plus does it erupt into a more traditional black metal sound. Recorded in a secluded forest, "Virstele Pamintului" roughly translates to "Age Of The Land/Earth", and indeed that concept is evident throughout this diverse and visionary album.

Often mixing pagan folk, progressive rock, black metal, and symphonic elements within their tracks, Negura Bunget have created a conceptual monster here. The album flows from track-to-track as a whole, so choosing individual cuts to comment on seems fruitless. Suffice to say, Negura Benget bring out non-traditional instruments like flute and xylophone to add mood to their aggressive and epic metal. It's as if early Dead Can Dance met up with Watain and had a wicked jam -- that worked. I give these guys credit, as they are certainly expanding the language of black metal. This album is a true journey, ripe with medieval adventure, drama, and maybe a little bloodlust. Yes, these guys have more to offer than just blastbeats and juvenile aggression. Kudos to them for breaking the mold, and convincing me to listen multiple times!
(Code666/Aural Music)

Negura Bunget site

Neguraspace