29 March 2024

19-03-2022 Fen, Frostmoon Eclipse, Lichtblick

Location: Astrant, Ede (Netherlands)

Europe is slowly opening up and concerts start to happen again. Our first one this year would be a Black Metal night with Fen, Frostmoon Eclipse and Lichtblick in Ede (Netherlands).

It’s good to be back after a long time with no shows and so thought quite some people who all showed up early enought to grasp the first band of the evening called Lichtblick. They got described as Depressive Black Metal from Austria. The guys have released an album right before this tour started. It is called “Abkehr” and of course we got to hear some material from that.

The depressed part comes clear right away. The despair within the vocals is hard to miss. The band drags you along through the show, sometimes a bit more tempo some times a bit slower but generally nothing abrupt coming along. Right when we worry the band may not bring enough variation through the set they seem to go a bit more intense which made the audience stick with them longer.


A good show to start the evening with, they know how to bring it across well.

Lichtblick
Lichtblick
Frostmoon Eclipse

Frostmoon Eclipse is the second band playing tonight. The band has been found in 1994 in Italy and has quite some releases on their name. Anno 2022 they came with an EP called “Rustworn” which got out just the day before this show. Not all that known for the audience so to say, but a good way to get to know it is to see it live and so we get to see some of it.

Compared to Lichtblick they have a bit more of a melodic side coming forward. Performance wise we get to see more energy as well and thus it does not take too long for them to captivate people. The band likes to throw your attention back and forth a bit but what really jumps out to us is the guitarist who is modest in his performing but let his skills do the talking here tonight. Right at the moments where he can take it up and set himself in the spotlight are the moments you see dictating the song and what gives it its identity.

Yet, in the end the band manages to take it back in balance and let us audience experience a full on story.

Frostmoon Eclipse
Frostmoon Eclipse

Headlining this evening was Fen from United Kingdom. The band shows themselves eager to be back on stage as they encourage the audience to enjoy that, after all what has passed the past two years. Waiting for two years before the tour happens their 2019 release “The Dead Light” has not been seen live a lot so now the opportunity is there the band let’s the music come with a good passion. As frontman The Watcher (aka Frank Alain) is explaining, they have not been letting the years go to waste and some new material has been recorded of which we get a preview. A nice add and good in line with the previous album we would say.


The trio has a good energy and where the charismatic Alain has no problem in charming the Black Metal crowd here tonight the whole gets balanced well with the two others.

Fen is also bringing some extra songs today, as they explain, the weekend gives them time for a longer set. It is welcomed with a good applause and even after that the audience was hoping for more. That says it all, the band has played a successful show tonight.

Fen
Fen
Fen
Fen

One could be nitpicking a bit, not optimum sound or whatever but it seems everyone, bands, audience, venue, organizers are all happy to get back to nightlife. Astrant was vibing tonight, oh how much we missed that!

Links:

Lichtblick Facebook
Frostmoon Eclipse Bandcamp
Fen Bandcamp
Immortal Frost Productions