Fen: Dustwalker

There are albums that are like movie soundtracks, but Fen's latest effort, Dustwalker, is even more than that – it's like a movie itself.

What I mean by this is that since the very moment when you play the opening track, the dark and moody "Consequence", you won't really feel the need to see any pictures accompanying the ghastly sounds, as some sort of horror movie plot will be immediately unraveling in your head. And YOU will be cast as one of the movie's main characters, of course. I'm not fond of far-fetched similes, believe me, but I honestly felt like I was stranded on the vast, mist-covered moors in some forgotten corner of Great Britain when I first listened to this track – and the feeling didn't disappear throughout the rest of the album.

The band doesn't care much about the verse-bridge-chorus structure of their compositions, which may turn out hard to swallow for the listeners expecting actual "songs" on this album. Sorry guys, not here, no – it's not catchy choruses but atmosphere that counts on Dustwalker. Half the tracks on the album are over 10 minutes long which perhaps gives you a good picture of what to expect from this release. Dark, distorted guitars and ungodly growls are constantly at a battle with acoustic sounds and clean singing, creating the world of fear and unrest, a place that doesn't feel hospitable at first, but one you will nevertheless yearn to come back to… again and again.

If you still need more encouragement to enter the God-forsaken world of Dustwalker, listen to the great, over 13-minute long track "Walking the Crowpath" before buying the album. This one will readily tell you whether you are doomed to be a Fen fan or not. And if you are, all I can say is: welcome to the boundless, wind-swept moors, my friend – and take care!

Tracklisting:
1. Consequence 07:56
2. Hands of Dust 11:38
3. Spectre 10:21
4. Reflections 01:49
5. Wolf Sun 07:10
6. The Black Sound 10:08
7. Walking the Crowpath 13:16
8. Epilogue (Limited Edition Bonus Track) 04:23

Added: January 4th 2013
Reviewer: Bartek Paszylk
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2650
Language: english

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