I hate to generalize, but when doom, sludge, post rock and ethereal atmospheres collide, wading through the resulting noise to eke out a good result can be tough. But Fórn have accomplished the near-impossible with their new-but-not-really album, The Departure of Consciousness. Originally released digitally last year, the album was recorded over a nasty New England winter—and for all its twists and turns, it’s a direct product of its inception: it’s nasty, cold, and full of surprises.
After The Departure of Consciousness was first released on Vendetta Records last year, Gilead Media head Adam Bartlett (who’s overseeing the re-release) said he was “floored” by what they’d accomplished. Being that I had the same reaction, I can understand his sentiment. Fórn self-identifies their brand of music as a combination of funeral doom and sludge, but this album is so much more than the sum of those two parts.
On opener “Emergence,” slow guitar chords meticulously build to the song’s halfway mark and lead to an electrified mass of down-tuned heaviness. Things fade ever so slowly in volume until we’re reduced to some eerily disconcerting background chants, poking through a wall of murky atmospherics. Next, on “Dweller on the Threshold,” we get a 30-second slow build to an almost tribal drum cadence before vocalist Chris P. takes center stage with a gnarly performance somewhat reminiscent of Primitive Man. We slither through to the three-minute mark, then are subjected to an on-again, off-again mix of nasty doom and black metal pacing, with the guitars twisting just enough to throw you off balance. We close with a marching, feedback-riddled doom section that displays their love of Eyehategod perfectly.
“Gates of the Astral Plane” begins with a short, guitar-only piece that offers a quick glimmer of hope, but then quickly stomps you in the face with some crushing doom. The vocals are done to perfection, and by now, you start to realize something: these guys are magnificent at their craft—fully aware and ready at a moment’s notice to take the listener to dark and grimy places previously unheard. But then, “Alexithymia” continues the mindset of hope, with its ethereal guitar intro and Pallbearer-esque higher notes, which serve to lull you into a false sense of security…that is, until the dirtier riffs midway through remind you you’re not safe from anything and there’s no need for hope. We see a similar pattern on “Suffering in the Eternal Void,” which once again opens with a stunningly beautiful post-rock style, only to drag us farther into the void with a mix of chords running up and down the flagpole of emotions. By the last sections of this track, you’ll be fully depleted of emotional energy.
Closer “Cerebral Intermissions” is where the ethereal, mind-entrancing atmospherics take place. It’s another stunning, short-lived guitar track, and as the lofty ending to a superbly dirty, nasty album, it’ll leave you feeling like the final shovel of dirt’s been heaped onto your grave—which is, in essence, the point. An album that plays on your emotions this way is a stroke of genius.
The genius and beauty of this album is its ability to float above the murk, and to confirm that Fórn is more than capable of dethroning anyone that stands in their way. When this album really digs for the depths of sludge and funeral doom, it’s among the best my ears have heard. It’s the rare album that even non metal fans would have to recognize for its Grade-A musicianship. The atmospheres and moods of this album will move you to all ends of the spectrum, and leave you feeling as if you’ve run at least an hour-long marathon. I for one am thoroughly excited about both this album and the band’s future, and will be counting the days to their next release.
– Josh
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