Fields Of The Nephilim
Mourning Sun

Church choirs, noises, sighs, voices from the distant darkness of a bottomless well, sounds of horns, a crying child: all of this constitutes a climax of desperate tension that culminates with the drums and the beginning of the melody. It's almost like the prayer of an Indian shaman around a fire, on a dark night with clouds gathering in the sky, and with the glow of a fire casting shadows on the bare sand, the shadows of the shaman in the grip of an ecstatic dance. All this is "Shroud", the opening track of the latest effort by the English band Fields Of The Nephilim (or rather, their leader, Carl Mc Coy), titled "Mourning Sun".

The opening track fades slowly into the electric riff and the diabolical laugh that open the second track, "Straight To The Light". "I will fly again," Mc Coy thunders with his full, deep, and baritone voice, thus announcing his return. Then the intensity of the goth rock of "Straight To The Light" captivates us, with its catchy refrain and its sustained yet not too fast rhythm. Then we arrive at "New Gold Dawn", another good goth rock track that maybe pales a bit in comparison to the previous one, though it somehow manages to remain etched in the mind, with Mc Coy, now we are sure, confirming that what we are listening to is certainly a well-crafted album.

We then reach "Requiem", my favorite track: bird songs and, in the background, a storm approaching, all fused with a sweet lullaby that spreads through the air.. Then finally the rain, and once again the shaman appears before our eyes. This time he stands bare-chested in the rain, with his hands stretched along his sides and his face turned to the sky, as he intones his prayer. This song almost takes on the value of a cathartic rite, its slowness and depth, those little sounds that create atmosphere once again permeate the room's air; the notes follow one another cyclically like drizzle while Mc Coy's voice whispers, reproaches, recites, screams his own rage, thunders as only a storm knows how. An instrumental coda with a vaguely epic flavor then guides us towards the end of this splendid track.

A gust of icy wind: we are in "Xiberia": once more a breathless voice walking, booming sounds that lead into this fifth track with an almost more danceable sound than the previous ones. This might be the song that could enthuse the least from the whole batch, perhaps too much of a break with the gem Requiem and its solemn atmosphere. Fortunately, the track flows quickly and she arrives, "She", a ballad supported by a simple and melancholic guitar arpeggio. The music rises in its slow yet almost regal pace, gradually becoming more and more majestic and epic, with Mc Coy's voice always imposing and deep. Surely equal to "Requiem" in terms of intensity.

The shaman's prayer resumes with the title track, "Mourning Sun", the third marvel of the album. Mc Coy initially recites his verses, supported by a solid rhythmic base provided by the drums, keyboards, and guitars, then a pause, his voice reaches us filtered as if coming from the depths of the earth, only to resume, more powerful than before, with the chorus. Several voices intertwine: choirs, whispers, imperious tones, and others more aggressive. The listener finds themselves almost surrounded by the melody, unable to do anything but surrender to the beauty of this song. The last track, "In The Year 2525", deserves a bit of the discourse made about "Xiberia": too pounding, rhythmic, and fast to be placed at the finale of this album, which perhaps would have had a more sumptuous and worthy closure with "Mourning Sun".

At the end of the listening, one can't help but press play again, if only to re-listen to "Shroud" or one of the 3 black pearls of the album, "Requiem", "She" or "Mourning Sun".

An album that enthusiasts of dark ambient and gothic cannot miss, the return of Fields Of The Nephilim, or rather, of the shaman Mc Coy; the worthy and awaited return of a king.