ALBUM REVIEW: Famyne, "II: The Ground Below"

 By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 13/05/2022
Label: Svart Records

 
“II: The Ground Below” CD//DD//LP track listing
 
1). Defeated
2). Solid Earth
3). Gone
4). A Submarine
5). Babylon
6). Once More
7). The Ai
8). For My Sins
 
The Review:
 
Famyne remain a bright hope for UK doom, getting brighter. Their debut was dark, immense, and unique in all the right ways, so what does their sophomore release hold?! Well, it may or may not be what the band sound like ‘right now’ due to it being recorded over a year ago in the dark days of the pandemic… but it certainly sounds fresh, vital, and full of youthful passion.

Opener “Defeated” (4.45) fairly growls out of the speakers; it’s huge and crushing with an organic drum sound, swirling vocal effects and no small amount of sturm and drang to the lyrics. It’s epic without being melodramatic or camp. It’s heavy without being hard to listen to (like some sludge often is, for instance).

Yes, there are shades of Count Raven, early Paradise Lost and so forth but the influences don’t directly inform the band’s presentation. Famyne are very much their own thing and that is why they are so exciting to listen to. “Solid Earth” (5.22) completes the opening one two punch combination with a meaty right hand that lands appropriately solidly right on the jaw. The drum sound is great; massive and muscular, the guitars have a good earthy tone to them with the mix well presented. Lyrically, the words are open to interpretation- if you fancy a song about astral projection… this could be it. Or it could be about much more introspective themes. Up to you.

The vocals of Tom Vane are essentially another instrument for Famyne to use. They are multi-dimensional, multi-tracked here and there and bring a healthy dose of melody and tonal variety to the album. Of the great bands, they all have unique vocalists; whether they be technically great or just have a certain timbre or sound that makes them stand out (Ozzy, Dio, Dickinson, Di’Anno, Liebling, Wino, Reagers etc.). It’s a more restrained type of track and a left field choice for the third song. Naturally, it gets louder as it builds and contains some nice lead work which pushes Vane’s vocals to soaring new heights. The use of the quiet/loud dynamic forms a motif- or frame- for the songs and while that may be an old trick, it’s still one of the best in the book.

“Gone” (5.40) is a moodier beast with clean guitar and dynamic drums combined with an almost shoegaze type ethereal feel. The band have conjured up this kind of vibe before, but this is done effectively and deftly.

“A Submarine” (7.27) represents the mid-point epic of the record and again it’s quite restrained to start. It’s noticeable that the record doesn’t rely on riffs alone- by any means- instead it creates moods and soundscapes for an epic feel. There are synths/keys present in the mix and the band seem to be exploring different shades in a rather pastoral way (appropriate, considering their Canterbury location). Dynamics are to the fore again, here. This is not your standard doom album.

“Babylon” (6.48) is unremittingly dark. While it may feature varying dynamics, it is pitch black in tone and outlook- musically and lyrically. The central riff is a good one; heavy as lead and just as poisonous. The guitars and bass weave nicely together here and the tempos shift a little too- this is a good thing as doom albums are all too often single paced, leading to one track melding into another when listening through a whole album. Again, the lead work down the back stretch is rather good- another nice dimension to the band.

“Once More” (4.47) may be a shorter track- but it retains the central motifs of the record; dynamics, tempo shifts, dark melody and emotive vocals. All the instrumentation here is excellent with the guitars working together really well and the rhythm section solid and adventurous at the same time. It’s a well-crafted track with enough of a hook to stand out.

“The Ai” (4.04) is another short sharp shock; there is a lot of weight here. One of the best riffs on the record opens proceedings and the band keep the weight on the bar from thereon. The work around the kit here is particularly good; off kilter fills and snare shots, grace notes, double pedal work- good variety and ideas. For me, this is one of the bets tracks on the album. Nice bass tone, too.

“For My Sins” (4.59) finishes the record in some style. It’s pulsing, urgent and paranoid. In fact, it’s a good summary of a certain type of doom; it’s slow but doesn’t drag. It’s heavy but listenable- before I get too paradoxical, suffice it to say that this is a mighty distillation of the band’s sound inside of five minutes. With the first half of the record being longer and the subtle differences in lyrical and musical approaches, I’d be tempted to speculate that the band were taking a leaf out of The Stranglers book on their third Black and White album- a sublime and innovative record that was an album of two halves in terms of approach and content… or that could be way off the mark.

All told, this is a superb album. It’s dark, epic, dynamic and doleful in equal measure and represents progression of the band’s unique sound without being a departure. For a second album this is really all any fan could ask for. In terms of the present and future of UK doom: this is it. It’s here. If your life is chaos and you feel you have no control over it, or complacency and the hidden hand just seems to void your goals… this is the band for you, as you will find much that resonates here.

“II: The Ground Below” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TOP 16 ALBUMS: THE SLUDGELORD'S SOUR 16 (August / September 2018)

Allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of riffs; because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from August & September, it is time for your SOUR 16. 

You know the drill by now, every couple of months you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top16 records, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below.  All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication are highlighted brackets)

16). Craft, “White Noise and Black Light” (387)

15). Clutch, “Book of Bad Decisions” (399)

14). Satan, “Cruel Magic” (425)

13). 1968, “Ballads of the Godless” (437)

12). Organ Dealer/Nerve Grind/Invertebrate, “Split” (442)

11). Allfather, “And All Will Be Desolation” (481)

10). Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters, “Come & Chutney” (503)

9). Brant Bjork, “Mankind Woman” (549)

8). Forming The Void, “Rift” (550)

7). Sumac, “Love in Shadow” (662)

6). Thou, “Magus” (791)

5). The Secret, “Lux Tenebris” (1100)

4). Kurokuma, “Dope Rider” (1272)

3). Conan, “Existential Void Guardian” (1910)

2). Famye, “Famyne” (2561)

1). KEN mode, “Loved” (2776)

REVIEW & TRACK PREMIERE: Famyne, "Famyne"

 By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 22/09/2018

Label: Independent

it is absolutely clear that Famyne will be both leading the way for British doom in the years to come and also may well become a band apart from the genre and the “scene.” 

“Famyne” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Wearthless

2). Faustus

3). Slave Ship

4). Ghosts

5). Tremor

6). Dreamweaver

The Review:

The UK is the de facto home of doom- what with Black Sabbath kicking off the genre (and heavy metal in general) way back when. In recent times, though, Maryland in the US, Sweden and Germany have all had thriving scenes going on and the UK's fortunes faded with the demise of Cathedral. Not any more, though.

The UK can boast several first class doom bands- that's doom, not sludge. Famyne have placed themselves neatly into the upper echelons of the current (and the “been around for donkey's years”) crop of bands. This is traditional doom; low slow and weighty. The vocals are clean, the guitars and bass distorted, the drums pound (and drummer Jake Cook uses a fair amount of subtlety with his snare grace notes as well) and the songs sprawl and soar.

Epic opener “Wearthless” sets the tone with an impressive rhythmic foundation and no small amount of Doors inspired psychedelia in the vocal production and delivery. The band tackle the big subjects in “Faustus”- big in the realms of metal, that is- and provide appropriately big riffs to go with it. Convincingly double tracked vocals are a nice touch and the overall production job is worth noting for its weight and clarity.

“Slave Ship” utilises dynamics effectively, introducing a diversity of sound not too often found in the trad doom world. Tom Vane's vocals are a defining stamp on the band's sound- they lend it an ethereal quality. As the album progresses through “Ghosts” and “Tremor”, there are numerous influences that can be picked out here and there; maybe some AIC, maybe even some shoe-gaze type stuff? This is certainly not an average, meat and potatoes Sabbath rip off; even if the Sabs are audible in the witches brew the band have concocted.

The touches of violin, the soaring vocals and the rock solid instrumental work of all band members add up to make this record both engaging and even surprising. It is very accomplished stuff; streets ahead of most band's debut records and with a unique sound.

As the album progresses through the nine and a half minutes of “Dreamweaver”- no, not that “Dreamweaver”, so beloved of Crowbar and Wayne's World- it is absolutely clear that Famyne will be both leading the way for British doom in the years to come and also may well become a band apart from the genre and the “scene.”

There is no way of knowing how far the band is going to go, but if they get the right cards dealt to them it will be a lot further than opening band status. They are young, they are unique and they are undoubtedly going to give all the UK doom bands a run for their money. Sabbath are gone, Cathedral and Iron Man likewise, Pentagram are headless, Saint Vitus have lost one original member already and Wino won't be around forever. If you were placing bets on who was going to carry the torch from here... Well, check out this superb debut and hear for yourself as we stream the sublime “Faustus” below

“Famyne” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook