Lovingly pinched from Sputnikmusic: The progression made by Fen since their debut LP The Malediction Fields proves to be introverted and rather subtle, with their latest album Epoch clawing further down into their niche of atmospheric black metal, post-rock and shoegaze.

It?s this very identity that has drawn comparisons to such titans as Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room, but those who continue to shell out such labels may need to think twice. Epoch, aside from its winding and heavily atmospheric structures that focus almost wholeheartedly on the darker and more surreal aspects of nature, is its own beast; drawing heavily from the sheer intensity of black metal while also leaving ample room for exploration into the ethereal soundscapes of shoegaze and post-rock to levels beyond that of their so-called counterparts in the metal scene.

Whether or not these further elaborations add to or detract from the overall product is up in the air, but the flourishing ideas that are strewn about Epoch show a band that is on the cusp of becoming something worth talking about.

Continue reading: Fen – Epoch (album review) | Sputnikmusic.