Search - Fields of the Nephilim :: Fallen

If this is the chaff, imagine the wheat...

Bes Pantheos | 09/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let me say, first off, that I am as devoted a Nephilim/Nefilim fan as you are likely to encounter. I've heard pretty close to everything that Mr. McCoy has ever seen fit to record, either officially, or in demo form. I very nearly worshipped the Fields for ages, and when I first heard the reincarnated Nefilim, I was utterly and thoroughly divested of all preconceptions about the power and intensity Carl was capable of manifesting in a studio setting (See my review of 'Zoon,' for a full account). That being said, I think we were all thrown for a loop when 1.) a second Nefilim album never emerged, 2.) no touring outside the European mainland was announced, 3.) the post-Nefilim McCoy/Pettitt parternship dissolved, and 4.) McCoy himself went quiescent for a year... then two... then three... etc...



Then came 2002, and the long-anticipated release of new material from the recently re-named Nephilim, in the form of the 'Fallen' LP. We had been prepared for this moment with the release of the 'One More Nightmare/Darkcell AD' CD-S (a revision of two tracks from FOTN's 1985 debut EP), which fairly well whipped the horse's ass. But then, mere days before the release of 'Fallen,' the official site denounced it as an unauthorized snapshot of demos-in-progress, with the added caveat that none of these songs would necessarily appear on an "official" Nephilim/Nefilim release.



What to do?

Buy it of course!



And so, we come to the album in question. Clearly, the metal sensibility is still present, but the hellish descent into the guitar inferno of 'Zoon' has now been tempered by the ethereal melodies of FOTN's 'Elizium.' The result is a hybrid sound, which I can only describe as "ambient metal." If this classification strikes you as incongruous or self-contradictory, then you are pretty close to the Weltanschauung the record imposes upon you. The tracks that smack of single release are never overpoweringly catchy (of course, this is a reasonably heavy record, so that should come as no surprise), but they are there, if you look closely: 'Subsanity' (from which the splinter band, Sensorium, lifted their name), and 'Fallen' (classic Nephilim sound with hard-core Nefilim rhythm; brilliantly conceived, all around) being the standouts. However, much like Lovecraft's Elder Gods, the real meat is in the *spaces between*, and if you listen closely, preferably with a decent pair of headphones, you will find yourself transported effortlessly into that bizarre, and often frightening, world from which Carl McCoy gives birth to his nightmarish visions (I defy you to tell me that 'Deeper' isn't worthy of the highest praise)...



So, why only four stars? Well, all things considered, 'Fallen' still represents the premature publication of a work in progress by an over-anxious record label. As such, it is not a finished product, and its transitory nature shows in the mix. Remember: McCoy never authorized this album, so don't complain and say the Nephilim/Nefilim let you down. Ultimately, 'Fallen' is nothing more than a legally released bootleg. But given that, we can only assume that the Real Thing (due Novenber 11, 2005: Fields of the Nephilim, 'Mourning Sun') will be, in every respect, a work of genius."