Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 12:17 AM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Germany
Label: Ván Records
Year: 2016
I decided to name Fyrnask one of my favorite active black metal bands because of their massive release Eldir Nótt in 2013, an album that offers a magic experience when listening to it as a whole and counts for convincing truth about what the band can achieve. I didn’t expect to be blown away by them at the same level and I can say that the band’s latest, Fórn, is a milestone for the genre.
They convey much of the music’s energy through their unique atmosphere and this time they have actually perfected it, giving a serious amount of the whole album to pure atmospherics and ritualistic ambiance. The band meddles with nature and mysticism, I would not hesitate to label them “pagan black metal” because they’re more than that and their darkness is one of the thickest out there. Fórn contains ten compositions, more than their previous full lengths in number and there are five instrumentals in between.
The first track “Forbænir” is a five minute ambient introduction with cymbals and synths, slowly forming the feeling of the album. However, it doesn’t really prepare the listener for the upcoming storm, meaning the second number “Draugr” which is to me one of the best black metal songs of the year, and it will stay that way until the year ends. The devastating guitar work, the stomping sound, the menacing shrieks, pretty much what black metal of the highest quality is made of and it’s a hard hit in the face that had me totally hooked up from the first seconds.
All the tracks, even if not instrumental, open or close with ritual ambient parts that makes Fórn flow greatly. The longest track of the album “Niðrdráttr” lasts nine minutes and sounds like what Fyrnask would be if they played a more straightforward style of atmospheric black metal, but still their golden merit pushes them even further. The intense moments burning in “Draugr” arise in different tracks at different times, like in “Blótan” or the middle part of “Kenoma” and they’re the strongest weapon of the album, making it remarkable and memorable.
When going through the instrumental parts of the record, one can hear sounds of nature, lot’s of different instruments that keep hold of the ongoing atmosphere and various types of vocals, another top-notch characteristic here. All the screaming and the painful yells, wolf-like howls and clean vocals, are absolutely brilliant. On “Agnis Offer”, one relatively short (four minutes) track and a quite melodic one guitarwise compared to the rest, shows the capabilities of Fyrnd (the only member) with clean voice.
As the opener, Fórn’s last track is a five minute outro, which goes more melancholic with a violin and a more orchestral composition as a whole. Regarding the LP bonus track, the eleventh “Vitran”, it’s slow paced with clean vocals and funereal melodies reminding of doom / death or funeral doom metal, marking the end of this colossal release. For an almost one hour album, Fórn has excellent musicianship, great atmosphere and doesn’t bore the listener at any moment. The last comments and regards should go to Glyn Smyth, the designer of the artwork, one of the most beautiful album covers I’ve ever seen.
Along with the album, you should try to track down the band’s concert activities and see them live, because it’s really out of this world. Fórn exceeds the previous albums and is up there among the best stuff I’ve listened lately, it is strongly recommended you sit down and check it out as well.
5/6
