As I wander my way through a barren wasteland of one man black metal projects, faceless death metal, and hastily assembled “supergroups”, I come across a beacon of light in the darkness: A pharos that grows larger and more intense with each step forward. My jog turns to a run, which then gives way to a full blown sprint. It’s growing bigger and brighter. I can practically feel the heat against my skin. Could it possibly be? Ah, it is! Fer de Lance are back with a brand new album, Fires on the Mountainside, and it might just be the most epic affair you’ll hear all year.
Trying to pinpoint exactly where Fer de Lance lies on the stylistic spectrum is a task of Herculean proportions. For simplicity’s sake, come the “genre” section at the bottom of this here review, we’re going to brand them “epic heavy metal”. However, there’s so much more to their sound, including epic strains of black metal, doom metal, progressive rock, and beyond. Furthermore, this is a case of a band ACTUALLY evolving musically since their last effort, so much so that one can’t help but notice in every last regard, from the writing and musicianship, to the production and cohesion. Look, 2022’s The Hyperborean blew my mind. I would’ve been perfectly content with an Electric Boogaloo-esque sequel. Instead, we have an album that makes The Hyperborean sound like a warmup by comparison.
The opening title track establishes the epic mood of the album, not just musically, but in length as well. Clocking in just shy of 13 minutes, “Fires on the Mountainside” goes for the throat with a musical feast of viking era Bathory march riffs, emotional guitar soloing, folksy Tull-esque forays, and even flashes of ’90s epic black metal grandeur. All of this, mind you, while retaining focus and clarity, never getting lost in a haze of overambition. In our interview with Fer de Lance, frontman MP described the goal of this album as to sound “somewhere between Deep Purple and Rotting Christ”. Odd as that sounds on paper, it makes sense as Fires continues to unfold further.
“Ravens Fly (Dreams of Daidalos)” and “Fire & Gold” keeps the colossal Quorthon meets Ian Anderson folk metal fiesta going, while the lumbering crawl of “Death Thrives (Where Walls Divide)” recalls the epic doom mood of the band’s debut release, Colossus (2020). Come Fires’ back half is where things get extra intense. “The Feast of Echoes” takes us deeper down the epic doom well, pulverizing us with a larger than life lead riff, before a flurry of epic BM romanticism and traditional flavored leads add further depth and excitement. “Children of the Sky and Sea” expands upon the folksy/pagan vibes of the aforementioned “Ravens Fly” and “Fire & Gold”, before “Tempest Stele” closes things out in dramatic fashion, sounding like a ’70s album rock jam by way of ’90s epic metal.
To call Fires on the Mountainside an incredible album would be an understatement. The only thing crazier than the music on here itself is that I’m of the persuasion that Fer de Lance’s finest hour has yet to arrive. Yes, the band has outdone themselves…for now. Knowing their reputation for endless musical exploration, or rather their quest for metallic perfection beyond metallic perfection, Fer de Lance will continue to write, record, and release one opus after the next, each one a blatant attempt to overshadow the last, and I’m all for it. Keep the fire burning, boys!
9 out of 10
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Bathory, Atlantean Kodex, Scald