So, what can I tell you about Farer? Well firstly they used to be known as Menhir but they changed their name as they probably didn’t want to be known as a “rock” band and yes, I should be stoned for trying to get away with a pun like that. It didn’t matter too much as during the 7 years they were active under said moniker they only released one EP. Now back as Farer this too is an only entry to the discography from this trio of Dutch men who also have links to Ortega and Noir. Monad has four lengthy tracks on it and things start without anything in the way of subtly, with all the instruments thickly crunching in. Two things are quickly apparent, they have two bass players who make a right meaty sound between them and the heft is accentuated by a very mastering courtesy of James Plotkin.
This is sludge and at times is nothing short of stifling and claustrophobic but as the journey continues it is apparent it is not without moments of breathing space and light amidst the darkness. Odd one word track titles are the only really clue here, for example ‘Phanes’ is apparently “the primeval God of creation, procreation, the generation of new life, fertility, light and King of the universe.” This very much starts from primeval soup or indeed sludge and reverberates and shakes the speakers, screams from the vocal department (both bassists provide vocals) piercing shrilly in the background. It crushes in every respect and in no great hurry to progress at first. All of a sudden bass and drums drop out and we are left with one elongated note left hanging in the air for what seems like an indeterminable amount of time. Hold your breath till things come back in and you will be blue in the face (I tried it) and it was most uncomfortable. Bosh we churn back in and it is more than unsettling blackened noise which is our gift, the screams and seemingly volume rise but not the tempo which continues in sluggish determined manner. It’s probably not for everyone but explorers of sonic abuse and misery should be in their element by now. Those that have made it so far into the 14-minute number are rewarded by a bleak post rock etched soundscape, one of those mentioned moments of light, complete with clean vocal harmonies lulling in the backdrop, the spring like twang of the bassists the focus of attention. There’s lots to take in here and it is incredibly well-structured especially as we are still in the thrall of the first number. ‘Asulon’ is apparently Greek for a place of refuge and we do find it here to a certain extent as the track is at first more electronically composed, a pulsing heartbeat running through the music a bass twang and clean vocals solidifying around it. Everything here is contemplated at length leaving you to somewhat voyeuristically go with the flow and “the darkness rising” within. Its monolithic in form, one can see the older name fitting well actually. Feedback emits a ghastly wail and the refuge is abandoned as it builds to a quaking miasma that has form in not just doom and sludge but a bit of Plotkin’s beloved noise rock sound too.
This is obviously music of depth and designed to take the listener on a journey of discovery despite its at times ponderous nature, naturally it takes more than just a quick listen to “get it” and patience is very necessary here. The four musical slabs of granite each have their own identity. ‘Moros’ another Greek god of impending doom certainly precipitates arrival with ominous and austere funereal melody, slowly moving towards impending doom with some very unsettling slithery sounds reaching out like tendrils to grasp and drag, inescapable in fate. But perhaps not as it is ‘Elpis’ we turn to as the final entity if not a God, the spirit of hope. Is there some to be found on the final piece of this puzzle? Well, I am not going to provide all the answers for you, its you job to immerse yourself in this work at the links below. Enjoy the trip, I did, it all made some sense by the end and I hope there’s more from Farer to come in the future…
A final little plug here, as ever this is incredibly reasonably priced direct from Aesthetic Death (£6.50) support physical media!
(8/10 Pete Woods)
https://www.facebook.com/farer.band
https://www.aestheticdeath.com/releases.php?mode=singleitem&albumid=4922
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