Grounded within the green and grey expanse of increasingly ashen environs while taking in a wide-angled view of the slow, fiery death of all on the horizon London, England-based atmospheric black metal trio FEN invoke cinematic beauty, indelible sorrow and impending cataclysm within this eighth full-length album. Presented as the first entry in a two-part concept ‘Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth‘ intentionally seeks to marry past ambitions with their high caliber presence today wherein their signature post-black atmospheric array embraces a more active, skillful prog-black dynamism. Sure to pull fans old-and-new back in with its all-seeing balance of both thunderous and intimate aspects of their sound this first part of the conceptual duo promises a most complete self from the act here on their twentieth year of existence.

Fen formed back in 2006 as an atmospheric black metal project from progressive black metal entrenched musicians. Often likened to everything from Agalloch and Enslaved to Altar of Plagues on they’d quickly evolved toward an infusion of post-rock into the naturalist realm a la Cascadian forms of atmoblack. I’d written in great length about the band’s total discography in review of their most recent full-length (‘Monuments to Absence‘, 2023) and would recommend not only reading that for context but also engaging with the band’s first seven albums heading into this eighth release. Rather than directly following up their most aggressive and progressive material to date this new album is presented as the first in a diptych of self-actualization, a holistic capture of their last two decades of existence with ‘Part One‘ merging past-and-present ideas.

At face value, and with the slightest power of deduction in flexion one could take the suggested intent of ‘Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth‘ as both recall and transformation of the verdant, spaced post-black of Fen‘s earlier discography with their first (‘The Malediction Fields‘, 2009) and fourth (‘Carrion Skies‘, 2013) records acting as tonal inspiration. With that said these folks’ve never been more capable performers and songwriters, as we’d seen with this particular lineup back in 2023, and as such we get a new version of ye olde dramatism from a heavier, even more prog-readied stance. Skipping ahead to the mountain-climbing breach of “Massif” probably gets us there fastest, though opener “Glacier” sports some of that same ‘Isa‘-mused surrealism alongside its ‘Triarchy of the Lost Lovers‘ worthy main riff and watery atmoblack rush into its final third. From the first piece it is clear the trio’ve aimed to apply earned knowledge and skill to their earliest ideal.

Standout “Tectonic” is similarly up front with its treatment of the riff, readily delving into both bopping groove and intricate mulling in the space of its first couple of minutes. A spongier main rhythm guitar texture and increasingly heavy metal guided structuring speak to recent developments in Fen‘s realm while partially live-in-studio recordings lend their efforts a certain organic snarl; Side A develops an intriguing dynamic up front between its three well-wrought pieces and numerous fiery rhythmic inserts carrying things along. In direct contrast Side B‘s arc is decidedly more cinematic in its framing, a far heavier lean into the post-black headspace of the past. This is exemplified by the lushly poured “Abyssal Plain“, which achieves a later Woods of Ypres sort of ease into its jogging call, and closer “Moor” taking that level of resonance into doubly extended gamut.

My interest veers heavily toward Fen‘s treatment on the first half of ‘Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth‘ though I can appreciate the atmospheric fixation, sublime sonic choices and flow of its second half just as well. Considered as a whole the album does well to reinforce the exploratory arc of the trio’s discography thus far, cutting their thoughts down to a digestible ~47 minutes yet still going places within those bounds. There are few surviving atmoblack/post-black bands from their era who’ve gone anywhere as affirming with it, so, it’d been concerning to hear these folks were ready to look over their shoulder at the past. Insight is the remedy to that thought here as deep consideration for the temperament and textures of old means a rebalancing which redefines the band’s efforts with an impressive, certainly immersive experience. A high recommendation.

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