Fell Voices - Untitled review
| Band: | Fell Voices |
| Album: | Untitled |
| Style: | Ambient black metal |
| Release date: | September 2011 |
01. Untitled
02. Untitled
Fell Voices is one of those underground black metal projects that creep up from time to time, drop a nuke of an album, and then disappear behind enemy lines, never to be seen again. Fortunately, these Americans have more than just a few explosives. They've got an entire arsenal of malicious droning ingenuity, and fortunately for us, it seems as though the blitzkrieg will be ongoing. Consider me shell shocked.
So who are these guys? It's a collaborative project between musicians from New York and California, Gilead Media set them up the bomb, and now all your base are belong to them. Basically.
Okay enough with the militaristic analogies. Onto the music.
Fell Voices have constructed a sound made up of traditional raw black and some subtle post-rock reinforced by a tolerable amount of melody, wandering through the plains of despair while searching for sustenance - a miserable path that leads to nowhere... nowhere... nowhere. And it leaves you there at the bottom of the pit. Of nowhere.
It's not the soft lighthearted kind of black metal a la Alcest or Fen, incorporating shoegaze or obnoxious post-rock elements into the mix, but an enticing and engaging form of "Cascadian" black metal that wears its heart on its sleeve while forcing you to dig through layers of rock before reaching the core emotions: sorrow, regret, rage, loss, confusion. All of this negativity bursts forth through the dense foundation, tunneling skyward like a tornado of pain, plaguing the rich soils of the highest heavens with all the fury of a woman scorned.
It isn't in itself a drone metal album; far from it in fact. But there are moments that tend to drag like a cigarette made by Willy Wonka, and the overall repetition between the two songs highlights the minimalism, making for a relaxing - yet formidable - listen. As soon as you feel ready to pass into oblivion, dreaming of waterfalls and wood nymphs frolicking in the distance... the grounds open up and swallow the surrounding beauty in a black pit of fiery death, Hell consuming innocence and charm in mere moments.
This helps separate Fell Voices from the rest of the atmospheric black metal bands that follow the typical slow-paced, synth-heavy, mellow formula. The balance of good and evil is more cohesive, the mixture of love and hate is more encompassing... the ethereal massage is concluded with quite a rough happy ending.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 10 |
 | Written on 31.12.2011 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for. |
Comments
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Comments: 43
Visited by: 289 users
| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774  |
Review style reminds me of BitterCOld =P
---- loves 小巫
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
I just realized the post-rock bits make me look rather confused. "...a sound made up of traditional raw black and some subtle post-rock..." "...not the soft lighthearted kind of black metal a la Alcest or Fen, incorporating shoegaze or obnoxious post-rock elements into the mix..." Just to clarify, I meant the subtle post-rock elements they incorporate here aren't obnoxious, and the focus isn't completely on the soft lighthearted style that a lot of other bands are known for.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Ag Fox on 31.12.2011 at 10:06 First Rozz and now OBC. Dammit, I thought I had my own style. 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Mikyz Posts: 711  |
If you didn't you should check of Gilead Media's 2011 releases, they're all as good as this one, or nearly.
---- Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.
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| VloRD Posts: 113  |
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702  |
listened to it on YouTube... quite liked myself... it has trance-inducing soothing qualities, somehow... 
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 31.12.2011 at 12:36 I think this is officially the second time you've agreed with a review of mine. 2/81. Not the best batting average.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 31.12.2011 at 12:39 you just need to keep reviewing albums and bands I like... Jokes apart, I must have read about 5 of your reviews in total, so it's a good average... 
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by Troy Killjoy on 31.12.2011 at 10:07 Craig's style always seemed to be a new line for every new sentence which I always found weird. For some reason I haven't actually listened to this record since way back when it was first mentioned (and you said it was a top 5 album or something). Listening to it again and it's pretty boss. Instant gratification. It's a bit Arizmenda-rish to my ears too.
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| BlueMobius Account deleted |
BlueMobius
Account deleted
Just thought I would point out the first two sentences of the review contradict each other 
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603  |
Is the album untitled or they titled it Untitled? 
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Isn't this album actually called *nothing*
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
Both of the songs are untitled, that is unusual and now I'm curious.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by BloodTears on 31.12.2011 at 14:52 it happens quite a few times in black metal
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2644  |
I've seen it in your list a while ago but haven't checked it out until now, the review is awesome and I'll be checking it as soon as possible
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| metaleaterr abstract_bliss Posts: 92  |
Nice review. You really choose some unique albums. Must say your taste is unique. Gonna check it out now!!
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| metaleaterr abstract_bliss Posts: 92 |
BTW just checked out their profile. How come they have no members added and yet a review. This is odd. 
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by metaleaterr on 31.12.2011 at 16:32 Not really, staff often add the barebones of a band profile for the sake of adding a review on here.
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| metaleaterr abstract_bliss Posts: 92 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 31.12.2011 at 16:39 Ya. Found many times that reviews were added for incomplete profiles. But this was the first one i found with no members.
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| TrollandDie Posts: 274  |
Written by metaleaterr on 31.12.2011 at 16:51 Adds to the eeriness I guess.
---- Hello, my name is Mr......Snrub and I think it would be a capital idea to invest the money back in the nuclear plant.
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| metaleaterr abstract_bliss Posts: 92 |
Written by TrollandDie on 31.12.2011 at 16:58 Ya...must be really unique. Just checked out the members. No official sources except the blog. MA also does not mention the full names. Lately read that some bands don't want to reveal themselves a lot. Don't know the reason why. Desire to stay underground yet releasing hidden gems is a unique feature among black metal bands. Makes life difficult for the editor though. Truly, adds to the weirdness of avant-garde/black metal.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18305  |
Would drop a full point but otherwise I agree, this is damn fine piece of album.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9028  |
 ( no matter how hard I try I can't get into black metal...
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=20536] on 31.12.2011 at 14:11 I suppose I worded that poorly too. I meant that they fit in with those other underground bands that drop and album and you never hear from them again, but thankfully they decided to stick around. Admittedly this review is a lot sloppier than intended. I can only write late at night and sometimes you can really tell.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 31.12.2011 at 19:00 Obviously try harder.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 31.12.2011 at 17:51 I'd drop you a full point, and I think you're a damn fine piece of Swede.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Milena on 31.12.2011 at 14:29 Not sure to be honest. The only official information that exists is Gilead's Bandcamp site, which has it as "Untitled" - but they don't specify if it's entitled Untitled or if it's just an untitled album.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18305 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 31.12.2011 at 21:57 I'm not even a swede
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 01.01.2012 at 00:17 You're Spanwedish.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18305 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 01.01.2012 at 00:18 I preffer Skandino.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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