There have been moments in my cultural life that forever stand out as milestones; things that at the time changed the landscape of my interests and those of most of my friends. The 1984 debut novel by the brilliant David Gemmell (cruelly taken too young), ‘Legend’ was one of those. We all read it and enthused about it and still love it. If you haven’t read it, you need to and hopefully this album will strengthen that need. But without spoilers or delving too deep; it is a fantasy siege novel. Completely against the publishing of the time it was not light, high fantasy though contains elements. This was heroic fantasy, roots back to Robert E Howard and Karl Edward Wagner and it still reaches into the present with the ‘grimdark’ genre. It had themes of grim stoicism, standing firm against the odds, honour and comradeship but also a bleak and unflinching view of the realities of men of war. The ageing character Druss The Axe epitomised this and early on we discover what exactly a name, a reputation, truly means.

And this is the theme of the third Fellwarden album. Legend.

For a band who have brilliantly (see my previous reviews) built their quite staggering reputation on the landscapes of England, the beauty in bleakness and the memory which lives in these places this was a bold but in retrospect, natural and probably needed expansion of their world. But I had no idea what would unfold.

The album is split into six tracks named after the walls of the fortress in the novel, Dros Delnoch and so we open with ‘Wall 1: Eldibar (Exultation)’.

The first guitar notes and clean vocals kind of give me a Forefather feel; that effortless opening out into the epic. The riff takes hold in a shockingly aggressive way for Fellwarden and rocks me not a little. But this is the sound of the gathering of an army; professional soldiers, levies, adventurers all; the hope in their hearts and the glory in their minds. The entwining of the aggressive riff and the harsh vocals with the rising clean chorus. The melody that surfaces halfway through is just beautiful. Fellwarden in full flight lifting your emotions, making your heart beat with the drumming and your gut feel as though you are marching with them. The first rush of fire as armies meet, the knowledge that the face before you is not so different from yourself.  By the end of this I’m locked in, totally one with the men of Dros Delnoch and the epic melodies that weave around us.

‘Wall II: Musif (Despair)’ is the grim realisation of the situation, the overwhelming odds faced. It is a sombre tone indeed to the guitar, bitter barked vocals and a downtuned, downbeat feel. Delicate interludes of acoustic guitar simply emphasise the feel of backs to cold stone but perhaps the voices, the clean choral ones, have a feel that a legend is being woven here. A multi-layered, thickly woven passage that makes the hairs prickle.

‘Wall III: Kania (Renewed Hope)’ has a great heavy metal riff to open it, a deep tone and a belligerent feel. This is where the warriors feel their unity, their purpose, coalesce into defiance. Somehow it feels like I’m listening to the echo of them down through history; the black metal chords, the snapping lead vocals and those rousing clean voices painting the picture. Fellwarden are masters of the interlude too; the moments of quiet in the midst of a storm of steel. It brings not just deeper emotion but a thoughtful space. Spoken word describes the nature of a man in this harsh world. What being true to themselves means. The harsh vocals describing staring despair and ruin in the teeth and yet rising once more, full of vigour and belief is perfect.

‘Wall IV: Sumitos (Despair)’ is a juddering sound at first as the cold realisation hits. ‘One final time, one final stand is all that remains between a man and his ending’. The fantastic drumming seems to mirror the rapid rush of images and feelings as the moment hits. And then the calm moment, those clean vocals once more lifting up your head, the harsh vocals the sound of acceptance that the final chapters have begun.

It’s just, frankly, stunning.

‘Wall V: Valteri (Serenity)’ is the preparation, the moment when all decisions have been made and now there is only what there is. Drums with a martial feel, the steel spine as the acoustic guitar, paints the serenity to the task the men now perform. Incredibly dextrous fingerwork, gorgeous vocals with the harsh ones amidst the quiet having another air to them. I can almost hear the craggy voice of Druss himself in these being the worn, grey rock around which this moment forms. This is the emotional punch from the softest of hands than floors you and perfectly placed, and paced like the novel. Bittersweet, content that all they can do has been done. We have found our purpose and with it truly discovered our essence.

So all that remains is ‘Wall VI: Geddon (Death)’ We raise our eyes to stare at the sky, to drink in the landscape on this one final day.This begins in the quiet, the moment that everyone knows will arrive and slowly rises in the waves of the riff and the guitar leads. The harsh vocals stiffen the sinews. The choral sounds raise up the spirit and the determination. And then the rage, the harshest sound Fellwarden have committed; this is fire and death, no quarter asked or given. A salute to the fallen whom we will meet again,

from blood and fire, sorrow and pain, we have carved our own legend.

This is clearly an album that has lived in Frank Allain’s soul for decades. A fire that he needed to do justice to I guess. From the superb lyrics full of the contrasts of the legend; the brutality of battle, the stoicism, the comradeship and the love and honour; to the use of vocal styles to express the feelings of the soldiers and to bring the emotions to life this is pure mastery. The music just breathes with the spirit of the novel. The production is just about perfect, the guest musicians (drummer Alisdair Dunn, Mark Harrington bass, Adam Allain choirs and Sean Darling narration) clearly give their hearts to this project in totality and the result is extraordinary.

Lyrical, thoughtful and powerful Fellwarden have walked this path with reverence but also with the defiant blazing spirit that the tale deserves. It takes you through the fires of war and the courage of comrades and leaves you feeling as though you have seen something that few ever do.

You have seen the birth of a Legend.

 (10/10 Gizmo)

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https://fellwarden.bandcamp.com/album/legend-forged-in-defiance