Album Review: Fellwarden – Oathbearer (Eisenwald Tonschmiede)

If you like your black metal feeling & sounding like a post-metal epic then look no further then Oathbearer, the new album from Fellwarden. Released earlier this year via Eisenwald Tonschmiede, come with us on this journey laid out by Fellwarden.

As much about creating an atmosphere as it is delivering hard hitting blackened metal, Oathbearer gets things started strongly with the exciting & huge sounding Guardian Unbound. Traditional sounding riffs, beats & vocals wrapped up in effects similar to a post-metal sound.

The middle of the song stops things dead, utilising a thumping drum beat & evolving into a much slower & hauntingly beautiful song. It’s really well done, so much so that as it picks up in pace it sounds really natural. A fantastic opening song that raises the question…what next!?

Sun of Ending & In Death, Valiant continue the impressive work. The former a catchy melody driven number that elicits all kinds of emotion from the listener. While the latter has a real folksy vibe to it. Both still try to tear your face off with hot spurting jets of black metal but it’s these melodic elements that really make the difference. A contender for the best song on the album.

The 10 minute wonder that is Wayfarer Eternal flows like a stream through the mountainous riffs, deep melody & jagged vocals before A Carin-Keeper’s Lament lightens things up. A soft strumming guitar melody that increases in energy & volume as it goes on. A prelude, almost, to the final track.

Coming in at nearly 13 minutes, Sorrowborn is an epic in every sense of the word. Extremely heavy but with get use of atmospheric elements & melody to keep its head above water. A stunning culmination of everything Fellwarden have achieved with this wondrous piece of work.

Fellwarden – Oathbearer Full Track Listing:

1. Guardian Unbound
2. Sun of Ending
3. In Death, Valiant
4. Wayfarer Eternal
5. A Carin-Keeper’s Lament
6. Sorrowborn

Oathbearer is out now & can be bought or listened to on most major streaming services. You can pick the physical version over on Bandcamp & make sure you check out the band over on Facebook too.