50 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums Of 2017
33. Fen – Winter
Probably the UK’s best pure black metal outfit, the naturalistic Fen hit new heights in 2017 with their fifth full-length, Winter. Comprised of six, ten-minute-plus movements, the disc is one of the most expansive and fulfilled albums of this year: not just from metal, but in general!
Despite the production from extreme rock veteran Jaime Gomez Arellano being crystal clear, the musicianship of Winter undeniably channels pure black metal, albeit with an ingenious, progressive twist. The pitched wails and roars of frontman Grungyn dance above folk-inspired clean guitars and harsh yet atmospheric dissonance, before raucous percussion and crashing chords let Winter descend into gloomy heathenism.
But it is the compositions of Winter that earn it its spot on this list. Supplying over 75 minutes of music, it’s a lengthy masterpiece, designed to be heard in its glorious entirety, which lets one immense song neatly segue into the next. The entire album flows sumptuously, whisking the listener away onto a mystic, atmospheric and haunting journey.