By DJ Monk
It would be easy to dismiss Nottingham quintet Fjords as just another progressive metal band – after all, it is a description they themselves employ – and cast them aside with all the preconceptions that this particular subgenre brings with it – i.e. zillion mile an hour solos with as many notes crammed into every millisecond as it is possible for the sound engineer to overdub. However, this debut album shows that there is so much more to this Midlands combo than many of their contemporaries and counterparts have to offer, touching as much on the most melancholic of doom vibes as it does on the speed and fury of the most extreme death metal extrapolations.
Formed in late 2016, Fjords first impacted upon the metal Überverse in genuinely epic style at the start of the following year, with the eight-plus minute long single ‘Ode To The Albatross’. But, then, darkness and silence fell upon the band camp (sic), as various inner turmoils led to them having to push back the release of this full-length offering by a full year. But it has most definitely been worth the wait, as ‘Onirica’ is as accomplished, confident and defiant a debut album as you are likely to hear this or any other year.
There are a number of elements which strike as immediately as the riffs. First is the clarity and cohesion, not only of the individual and collective performances but also of the production, which draws out every subtlety while at the same time emphasizing the sheer power that is washing over you. The next is what is actually not there: and that is the over-complication that befuddles too many outfits operating in this subgenre; yes, there are layers and layers of complexity which are worthy of repeated exploration in order to fully evaluate their richness, but there is also an essence of simplicity, that clarity of purpose, and the feeling that what is being left out is as important, if not more so, than what has actually been included in the final mix.
‘Onirica’ is an exemplary album, packed to the brim with atmospherics and their creative use. As mentioned above, it neatly intertwines elements of doom and death metal, but there are also twists of alt-metal and even classic rock woven into its dark and dense fabric. Sounds build upon sounds, guitars tumble in and out over concrete-solid rhythms while the vocals snarl and gnaw, perfectly complementing both the sheer intensity and the levity which permeates the duration of the album. It works on so many different levels, making you question what you’re actually listening to, yet also grabbing you be the shirt collar and ramming itself forcefully into your face. It is a highly accomplished debut that stands tall and proud, shoulders above many similar offerings which seek to plough the same furrow. Well done, guys.
- ‘Onirica’ is released on Friday (22 November). You can get your copy HERE.
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