Fellwarden - Legend: Forged in Defiance (2024)

Featuring a lively Folk/Atmospheric Black Metal, today we have UK’s Fellwarden and their third full-length release “Legend: Forged in Defiance”. As a one-man project from Fen’s The Watcher, this outlet channels a more epic and fantasy influenced side to his musical talents, unleashing six tracks and nearly one hour of music. With a sound similar to outfits like Enid, Saor and Sojourner, and even some Agalloch, this album is full of great ideas and excellent craftsmanship.

Opening with the regal “Exultance”, the listener is quickly treated to a very lively and engaging vibe that keeps getting better and better as more layered elements come into play. The Watcher is a mastermind when it comes to crafting intricate melodies and lush atmospherics in Fen, so it is only natural that tracks like “Despair” and “Renewed Hope” have his stamp all over the place as they slowly build up to cathartic moments alongside energetic guitar work.

With a slower pace than most Folk-infused Black Metal bands, “Desperation” is a great example of how well Fellwarden handles different tempos and textures to create very melancholic and powerful sounding melodies. Even touching up in Blackgaze/Alcest-like territories, dreamy songs like “Serenity” are excellent as they fully immerse the listener while marking a clear distance from what Fen does.

The release comes to a closure with the very powerful “Death”, and its very dramatic vocal arrangements alongside crafty instrumentation and a very mournful pace. Not expecting anything less than stellar from The Watcher, he manages to make Fellwarden and “Legend: Forged in Defiance” a very different and yet familiar experience from his usual antics. This release is full of melancholy and catharsis, alongside excellent vocal arrangements and an overall moody vibe. If you like melancholic Black Metal, this is one of its finest examples.

Label: Eisenwald

Release: June 14th, 2024

Genre: Atmospheric/Folk Black Metal

Country: UK