I Am the Fog Review

Band	Furfur
Album	I Am the Fog
Type	EP
Released	January 28, 2018
Labels	Hypogea Invictus
Length	11:56

Reviewer :  KaroshiMetal         Rating :  70 / 100

When it comes to a particular release having a short length in total, it doesn't necessarily make it a bad release. After discovering this almost 12 minute-long EP by France's very own one-man project Furfur, I realized it has some impressive quality. However, this release is a short-length EP as already pointed out earlier on. Although it may seem there is not much to talk about, there is still potential to be held within this release.

Serving as the first release for 2018, "I Am the Fog" opens with the self-titled track that features fast paced tremolo riffing with an old school Burzum vibe. The riffing kind of repeats itself throughout the track, making it seem like a simple process until it develops into a slower paced strumming for only a short moment before it returns to the same fast paced tremolo riffing. In fact, this is basically the entire EP's guitar formula for each tracks. Fast paced melody riffing until it eventually changes up to another yet repeated fast paced riffing and repeat. Therefore, it can be easy to tell the artist behind this project whom goes by the pseudonym name "Berith" does not give a damn about creativity. Now of course, Each of the tracks are accompanied by Berith's distorted vocals with a reverb effect that gives him a very gloomy sound, making him sound like he's a ghost chanting in a cave. Even though this is the majority of the EP, there is at least one instance that introduces an ambient element. As the third track "Sortilège" reaches halfway after going through the same repetitive guitar riff, the instruments slowly fade away and we come to a sudden pause as we are introduced to a strange wind-like sound effect for only about 13 seconds until it takes us to a whole new fast tremolo riff before bringing us back into the same separate riff we have already heard earlier. The overall tone and theme for these tracks can make the listener feel they are being lured into an underground world of pure hatred, with the remaining three tracks heavily supporting this mood as their titles in order roughly translates to "Fuck your Beliefs", "Spell" and "God has Fallen". This can give a very effective atmosphere to the sound. However, this atmosphere can quickly fall bland due to the short lengths of each tracks. Due to the raw production as well as the guitar work serving as the main focus, it is also very uncertain if there is bass guitar work involved during the recordings.

As for the drum work? There are cymbals involved during the tracks that are very easily identified, but the effect of the double bass along with the snare drum are heavily buried underneath the raw production. Although it is very hard, they can definitely be heard if one listens closely enough. The progression for the drum work has a very simple process as they roughly play along to the guitar riffs before coming to a pause from time to time. This drumming formula has a specific pattern that is similar to the guitar work. Repetitive drumming until coming to a pause for a moment and repeat. There would of course be a speed change with the drumming in some parts, but that's all it is. As such, some listeners may even go as far as to say the drum work is mundane. But overall, the quality of the instrumentation presented on this release is the whole point and beauty of raw black metal.

"I Am the Fog" from Furfur is a very short release with not much to offer to many listeners to the point it may seem easily forgettable. But for anyone who happens to be a fan of raw black metal, this EP is definitely worth having a listen as it can be easy to tell this artist wants to keep the dirty and hateful spirit Black Metal is known for alive.