Fen is a
post-black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an emphas ...
band formed in 2006 and originating in
the Fens
The Fens or Fenlands in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a system o ...
of the
East of England
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sunrise, Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact ...
, a region from which the band draws much of their inspiration. They have released seven full-length studio albums and two
EPs
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
, and are currently signed to German label
Prophecy Productions.
History
In 2006, Fen recorded the ''Ancient Sorrow'' demo, which was later re-released as an EP on both CD and vinyl by Northern Silence Productions. In January 2009, they released their first full-length album ''The Malediction Fields'' on Italian label Code666 Records, which was followed by their February 2011 album ''Epoch'' on the same label. ''Epoch'' received positive reviews in ''
Metal Hammer
''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'' (8/10), and
''Terrorizer'' (7.5/10), with the track 'A Waning Solace' being included in ''Terrorizers "10 Essential Metal Anthems" list in April 2011.
Three more albums followed on Code666, ''Dustwalker'' in 2013, ''Carrion Skies'' a year later, and ''Winter'' in 2017. The band were able to promote ''Dustwalker'' by joining
Agalloch
Agalloch () is an American extreme metal band from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1995 by frontman John Haughm, they released five full-length albums, four EPs, two singles, one split single, two demos, four compilation albums and one live video a ...
on a 28-date European tour. After the release of ''Winter'', frontman "The Watcher" prepared to release ''Oathbearer'', the debut album of his other musical project Fellwarden. In 2019, Fen released the tracks from a past split-album as the EP ''Stone and Sea'' on German label Eisenwald, before moving onto the roster of another German label,
Prophecy Productions. Since joining Prophecy, Fen have released two full-length albums, ''The Dead Light'' at the end of 2019, and ''Monuments to Absence'' in the summer of 2023. "The Watcher" described ''Monuments to Absence'' as "a focused attempt to harness" anger.
Band members
;Current members
* Frank "The Watcher" Allain – vocals, guitars
(2006–present), synthesizers
(2012–present)
* Adam "Grungyn" Allain – bass, vocals
(2006–present)
* JG - drums (2020–present)
;Former members
* Daniel "Theutus" Spender – drums
(2006–2012)
* "Draugluin" – synths
(2006–2011)
* Æðelwalh – synths
(2011–2012)
* Paul "Derwydd" Westwood – drums
(2012–2016)
* Pete "Havenless" Aplin - drums
(2016–2020)
Timeline
Discography
;Studio albums
*''The Malediction Fields'' (2009)
*''Epoch'' (2011)
*''Dustwalker'' (2013)
*''Carrion Skies'' (2014)
*''Winter'' (2017)
*''The Dead Light'' (2019)
*''Monuments to Absence'' (2023)
;EPs
*''Ancient Sorrow'' (2007)
*''Stone and Sea'' (2019)
;Splits
*''Towards the Shores of the End'' (Fen / De Arma, 2011)
*''Call of Ashes II / Stone and Sea'' (Fen / Sleepwalker, 2016)
;Others
*''Ancient Sorrow'' (2006)
*''Onset of Winter'' (2008)
*''Better Undead Than Alive 2'' (various artists, 2009)
*''
Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer'' (various artist, 2010)
*''Toteninsel'' (various artists, 2012)
*''Önd - A Tribute'' (various artists, 2012)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fen (Band)
English black metal musical groups
Blackgaze musical groups