• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Despite having a name that sounds. . . a little silly to an English ear, Fagus have produced a really good debut album of epic, intellectual Black Metal. This is not blast n' screech, but big songs with big riffs and a wide-ranging songwriting sense that gives things a lot of room to breathe. There are hints of more epic bands like Finsterforst or Falkenbach, except that Fagus have no trace of folk elements or pagan sounds. If I had to pick a band this reminds me of, it would be Windfaerer, with the same open feel and the bright atmosphere packed into long songs with melodically involved and layered guitar work. I do wish this had a bit more warmth to it, a bit more emotion, as it can be kind of cold in places, but it's a very strong first album.