Band : Fen
Album title : Trails Out Of Gloom
Label : Ripple Music
Distributor : Clearspot
Release date : 2010
Review : CD

Fen return with their 4th full-length, and what an album it is! I haven’t had the chance to hear their other releases so this was my first exposure to the band. I must say I was blown away. Let me start out by saying that fans of Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Opeth, A Perect Circle and even Agalloch are going to love Fen. .

“Trails out of gloom” for example, effectively cycles through a vast array of emotions through laid-back acoustic finger-picking and sombre piano playing, vaguely reminiscent of Anathema. Fen manages to take this sombre tone and genuinely apply it to the entire album.. This becomes the type of album that immediately captures the listener and enthrals him/her throughout the album. Front man Doug Harrison is the reason for this, as he is in possession of a lovely voice that carries the listener along with ease. With a good sense of variance through the disc, there is little chance one will become weary of the album. Some of the highlights include the moody Riverside-esque “The world is young”, one of the rare examples of the band simply rocking out on “Through the night” and “End of the dream”, the quiet tension of "Find that one” and “In your arms”. “Trails out of gloom” and “Miracle” are saturated in lush keyboard and piano lines and fantastic flowing, almost ethereal exotic guitar solos that very nearly float over the rhythm section.

Most importantly, there is no filler material anywhere here.

95100

Cosmicmasseur.