Review Summary: Chapter 3 - Soilbound
"Look What These Animals Have Done!"
2011 was a momentous year for the indelible, young British 'post-black metal' cornerstones, Fen. With the release of their second full length record, "Epoch", Fen would also release (a sadly overlooked) split album with frontman The Watcher's collaborative side project, De Arma. The contents of Fen's half of this split were recorded over the course of several years, in multiple studios, going as far back as 2008. De Arma, a composite of Swedish musicians (from bands, Whirling and Stilla), and Britain's The Watcher, make their first outing as a group with this release, displaying an atmospheric-black-meets-early-Katatonia aesthetic. At over fifty minutes in total, we're given a full album's worth of content.
Opening the experiencing, Fen explodes with warm, familiar tones (for those who enjoyed their genre-beloved first two releases), "Soilbound" teems with life, breathing almost playfully, before settling into more focused, key-laden progressions. A lush exploration through softer graces builds towards a rousing climax of violence, finally reprising the main charge before giving way to the thundering gallop of the bass and drum rolls of "Ageless Threnody". A stirring midsection and cathartic outro later, and we arrive at the title track, and standout of the split, "Towards The Shores Of The End". Ambient waves wash upon Albion's shores as an anthemic riff builds atop pulsing bass lines; the song weaves effortlessly from passage to passage, delicately building toward a final breakdown, ultimately collapsing back into rolling waves. Finally, we're treated to the serenity of a (Malediction Fields') "Bereft" reprisal, and the stage for De Arma's debut performance is set...
After the tranquility of Bereft, the listener is immediately throttled by the melodic gallop of (the thematically titled) "Crimson Waters Ebbing The Shore". De Arma make a confident entrance, boldly displaying a triumph-meets-melancholy (excuse the cliche comparison) 90s Katatonia ethos, while certainly grasping at their own identity. The hazy production, recursive chord progressions, and peculiar male choral arrangements prove an immediately distinguished performance. "Noemata", the highlight of De Arma's contribution to this split, greets us with a further instantiate of this triumphant-yet-melancholic juxtaposition.
It appears a consistent element of The Watcher's ethos and songwriting, across projects, to contrast lyrical and conceptual wistful aesthetics with triumphant and resolute force, that can, at times, border on upbeat rock-oriented groove (The Watcher has personally stated in several interviews that it was in fact a glam metal album that inspired him to pick up guitar in the first place, all those years ago). Noemata essentially embodies this woeful-yet-perseverent aesthetic, recursively building upon its unabashedly upbeat main hook, organically reaching out and spreading its wings, in all its glorious Brave Murder Day worship, before making way for the final driving track on this offering, that, while enjoyable, fizzles out without the momentum of the first two tracks.
"Towards The Shores Of The End" showcases a promising extrapolation of Fen's previous efforts, while laying the groundwork for their following endeavour that same year. What we have, essentially, is a worthy stylistic intermediary, more directly rooted in the earthy tones of Malediction Fields (understandably, given its recording dates), while hinting at progressions towards the stormy shores of Epoch. De Arma achieve an alluring debut, stylistically comfortable enough to find their bearings, while distinctive enough to intrigue listeners enough for a full length premiere.
Recommended Tracks:
Towards The Shores Of The End
Noemata
Ageless Threnody
Bereft (Reprisal)
