[schema type=”review” name=”Firtan- Okeanos” description=”Label: AOP Records” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2018-07-13″ ]
Firtan is a German black metal band. Formed in 2010, they have a few releases and played in club & festival shows. They might not be known outside of Germany but they are slowly gaining huge recognition with a steady fanbase, especially among black/pagan metal lovers. 4 years after the last full-length “Niedergang” and having signed to a new label, AOP Records, they are back with their second full-length called “Okeanos”.
“Okeanos” marks the band experimenting with their sound and taking it to a next level while maintaining their essence. Some similarities but huge differences can be recognized when compared to the previous one “Niedergang”. Their style remains the same; fresh, dynamic, dark but progressive sound. This is one of the highlights of “Okeanos” but also of Firtan’s style in general; it’s not just ‘post-metal’ or ‘progressive black metal’. They experiment and play with the sound so well that the changing style neither bores nor confuses the listener… just the perfect dose of different styles in perfect moments. This also shows us that the band has a certain vision and consistency. Surely they are not afraid to blend different styles but they are rather doing it in a certain consistency in their own interpretation. The nice contrast between the atmospheric melodies and dynamic drumming will also be an element that the listener will get to recognize with each spin; the album itself is highly dark and at times atmospheric but the drums provide that dynamic and progressive attitude mostly whereas the guitars, combined with the black and post-metal vocals provide us with some serious dark atmosphere.
One surprise for me was the violin in a few songs and especially in “Purpur”, which adds another dimension to the album. Even though the album itself is mostly a mix of post-metal, progressive and atmospheric black metal, the violin gave the album a rather ‘folk-ish’ sound without sounding too odd or out of the context. Another highlight I loved were the monologues here and there, adding another atmospheric vibe to the album.
Those of you who like your metal progressive and dark, keep Firtan in your minds… You will be pretty impressed with “Okeanos”; it is surely one of the highlights of 2018!
Line-up:
Phillip Thienger – guitar and vocals
Oliver König – bass and backing vocals
C.S. – guitar
David Kempf – drums
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Tracklist
1. Seegang |
Links:
Firtan Facebook
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