Customer Reviews

Fallen

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Let me say, first off, that I am as devoted a Nephilim/Nefilim fan as you are likely to encounter. I've heard pretty close to everything that Mr. McCoy has ever seen fit to record, either officially, or in demo form. I very nearly worshipped the Fields for ages, and when I first heard the reincarnated Nefilim, I was utterly and thoroughly divested of all preconceptions about the power and intensity Carl was capable of manifesting in a studio setting (See my review of 'Zoon,' for a full account). That being said, I think we were all thrown for a loop when 1.) a second Nefilim album never emerged, 2.) no touring outside the European mainland was announced, 3.) the post-Nefilim McCoy/Pettitt parternship dissolved, and 4.) McCoy himself went quiescent for a year... then two... then three... etc...

Then came 2002, and the long-anticipated release of new material from the recently re-named Nephilim, in the form of the 'Fallen' LP. We had been prepared for this moment with the release of the 'One More Nightmare/Darkcell AD' CD-S (a revision of two tracks from FOTN's 1985 debut EP), which fairly well whipped the horse's ass. But then, mere days before the release of 'Fallen,' the official site denounced it as an unauthorized snapshot of demos-in-progress, with the added caveat that none of these songs would necessarily appear on an "official" Nephilim/Nefilim release.

What to do?
Buy it of course!

And so, we come to the album in question. Clearly, the metal sensibility is still present, but the hellish descent into the guitar inferno of 'Zoon' has now been tempered by the ethereal melodies of FOTN's 'Elizium.' The result is a hybrid sound, which I can only describe as "ambient metal." If this classification strikes you as incongruous or self-contradictory, then you are pretty close to the Weltanschauung the record imposes upon you. The tracks that smack of single release are never overpoweringly catchy (of course, this is a reasonably heavy record, so that should come as no surprise), but they are there, if you look closely: 'Subsanity' (from which the splinter band, Sensorium, lifted their name), and 'Fallen' (classic Nephilim sound with hard-core Nefilim rhythm; brilliantly conceived, all around) being the standouts. However, much like Lovecraft's Elder Gods, the real meat is in the *spaces between*, and if you listen closely, preferably with a decent pair of headphones, you will find yourself transported effortlessly into that bizarre, and often frightening, world from which Carl McCoy gives birth to his nightmarish visions (I defy you to tell me that 'Deeper' isn't worthy of the highest praise)...

So, why only four stars? Well, all things considered, 'Fallen' still represents the premature publication of a work in progress by an over-anxious record label. As such, it is not a finished product, and its transitory nature shows in the mix. Remember: McCoy never authorized this album, so don't complain and say the Nephilim/Nefilim let you down. Ultimately, 'Fallen' is nothing more than a legally released bootleg. But given that, we can only assume that the Real Thing (due Novenber 11, 2005: Fields of the Nephilim, 'Mourning Sun') will be, in every respect, a work of genius.

If you go to the official Fields of the Nephilim site, you can read the band's disclaimer of this new Jungle Records release. Carl's band apparently recorded quite a few songs, were not happy with the final mix, but Jungle released them anyway on this CD. I personally think it's pretty good, not classic Field's but I liked it. Supposedly, Carl has a new CD coming out soon under the band name "The Nephilim". They state they have not used Fields of... in many years and that Jungle did not consult them about the album art or song contents. In the meantime, this CD should hold those die hard fans over until the real deal comes out. Buy the limited edition for bonus songs and postcards. There is a DVD coming out from Jungle early 2003 that will contain Revelations, Forever Remain, Visionary Heads and bonus Nefilim & Rubicon videos. Look for it on Amazon soon!!
A note to the German reviewer, bands should always move forward. I would be terribly disappointed if every FOTN CD sounded like "Dawnrazor" or if they were all "Elizium". Great CDs, but definitely a progression. The Nephilim are far from dead, they're just dreaming.

This is a great collection of unfinished songs & demos. And that's the proper perspective, for most attention paid to this album is completely negative due to its unfavorable circumstances. Yes, it's been disowned by the band since the label released these songs and titled it "Fields of the Nephilim" without the band's approval; and people buying it with expectations of a fully-formed reunion album were undoubtedly disappointed.

But in the long run, Nephilim demos beat 99.9% of "official" songs. And for demo standards the sound quality is quite good, the primary demo indicator is that some of the less-completed songs have somewhat monotonous drum machines laid bare in the absence of McCoy's densely layered atmospherics.

All in all, it's a great glimpse into Carl McCoy's creative process, and now that Mourning Sun has finally satiated Watchers' desire for an official new Nephilim release, Fallen should at least be a curiosity.

As very long standing Fan/Follower of the Nephilim I was really suprised to see on the official web site that they didn't support this album. I understand the politics of it (believe me, I've worked as promoter to the occasional big "Goth Rock" band so I know about politics!) but to me whatever the circumstances behind this albums birth you cannot take away the fact that it is actually a pretty stunning album! I saw the Nephilim for the first time at the Manchester International II in 1988, a long time ago - this album brought it all back. Only my opinion but this album I feel is well worth buying.

I have been a FOTN fan since 1990 and I have to agree with the other two reviewers...politics aside, this is great music. I play this CD as much as any of my other FOTN CD's. Yeah, it's not as slickly produced or whatever, as the others, but is that really so important. All of FOTN CD's are amazing of course but so is Fallen, and it just seems to me--in my humble opinion--FOTN can do no wrong. I am sorry that this CD can't be officially sanctioned, but nevertheless I am very glad to have access to it...McCoy's fans wait impatiently for just anything at all...trusting that it is going to be great...I haven't been disappointed yet...I'd recommend "Fallen" to anyone...

I'll try to keep this short.

This classic gothic band is my favorite of all time and their new release "FALLEN" further reinforces why they are #1 in my book.

"FALLEN" continues in a dark and somewhat heavy fashion where only two original members remain and some of their previous members also contributed to this output. Hence, you will notice more programmed sampling instead of actual musicianship but personally, I am happy that I was able to add this disc to my collection.

It sounds like CARL McCOY is continuing in the direction from his "ZOON" album which I agree is very underrated.

I just love this guy and I hope to hear more material from him within the next five years.

I will just cut right to the chase here regarding this "new" release and offer the the official explanation directly from the most reliable source - Carl McCoy, the great dusty esoteric cowboy himself. The following is taken from the official Fields Of The Nephilim/Nephilim website and Watchman newsletter:

"Neither the single "From The Fire" nor the album "Fallen" is officially endorsed, or is being promoted by the current band, which records under the name The Nephilim, and has not officially used the name Fields of the Nephilim since 1991. It is not a name that it wishes to use again for future recordings, feeling that it is best to move forwards than go backwards. New material by The Nephilim is being readied for release, and will be up to the standards it wishes to set. This will be tied in with new projects and live events."

When I first heard the album, I was a bit let down and had the intuitive feeling that something was awry. The songs seemed incomplete, and felt rushed. The rhythmic aspects especially, as the songs are feebly backed by a drum machine. Though the efforts to create an authentic organic drum sound is admirable, it seemed rather foolish for a band of this caliber to release their reputed `comeback' record without the original drummer, or at best, a flesh and blood session drummer. That was the first clue.

A quick glance through the rather sparse lyric booklet reveals that this incarnation of `Fields Of The Nephilim' is only two-fifths of the famous line up. Thus providing clues number two and three respectively, if one recalls how eloquently packaged prior Nephilim related releases were designed by Sheer Faith.

The bottom line is "Fallen" is a demo for Carl McCoy and Tony Pettitt's project, which goes by the name of The Nephilim. The Nephilim first appeared on the scene in 1996 with the "Zoon" release through Metal Blade Records. To describe that rather underrated album, I would say the listener could imagine the darkest moments of Slayer fused with the characteristic sound of vintage Fields Of The Nephilim. "Zoon" was an aggressive release bursting at the seems with sonic guitar assaults, blistering double bass drumming, and Carl's most gritty vocal performances to date. There are many moments of atmospheric bliss, courtesy of fluid watery clean guitar arpeggios (a staple in the early FOTN sound) and moody Floydian synth parts. That album, with tracks like the furious "Exodus" and the near club hit "Shine," is a fantastic release that pleased Psychonauts the world over and still seems relatively undiscovered and unappreciated by far too many fans.

"Fallen" hints of a worthy follow-up, and now that my hunch that it was unfinished material has been confirmed, I am much more comfortable with the album and find it easier to hear the potential greatness of most of the tracks. What is confusing, admittedly, is that there ARE new versions of FOTN tracks - first with "Darkcell AD" and then with "One More Nightmare (Trees Come Down AD)." Both tracks originally appeared on the debut EP "Burning The Fields" in 1984 and both `new' versions appeared last year on a teaser single released through Jungle Records. However, these songs are just the result of Carl McCoy taking an opportunity to update and modernize the tracks, and with the creepy shuffling gloom of "Darkcell AD" I would say he was phenomenally successful. The re-interpretation of "Trees Come Down" however I don't think works as well - overall, it is too noisy and crowded by samples and would be improved by a straight up live performance of the song in this harsher style. The idea is great, but at this stage, the song still falls short of achieving greatness or even occupying the same aesthetic dimension of the original.

The new material on the disc is promising nonetheless. Particularly, the driving "Subsanity" which is a snare snapping fast paced cyclone of a track with great layers of shimmering guitars and crunching power chords at the back bone. Some climaxes of dissonant synth work and double bass drumming give the song a remarkably pummeling edge. "Hollow Doll" is also an incredible track, standing out since it is the only track out of the ten that features live drumming. McCoy's sepulchral rasp meshes with more layers of guitar that buoy atop slick slap bass lines and epic sweeping synths.

"Thirst" and the title track both offer something special for longtime fans, but still seem a bit rough to successfully judge at this stage of the game. It does not require a strenuous leap of imagination to hear how all of these songs will most likely shape up once the band lays down the final touches on them and the time comes for a proper release.

Overall, it is important the fans are aware of exactly WHAT this release is - that it is nothing more than a collection of demo material for the band The Nephilim. It is not the follow up to "Elysium," the swansong release for the classic incarnation Fields of The Nephilim. Nonetheless, it is unquestionably of interest to fans of the band's legacy and despite the confusion and record label contract drama, "Fallen" is a confirmation of the Carl McCoy's activity, and that, of course, is exciting news for all of us! Stay tuned...and keep talking.

* Extracted from my review at StarVox.net and the band's official website

Ok, so this album is not endorsed or promoted by the band... it's made up of mostly demo material and working titles. BUT it is still a bloody good album. And if you're like me and you've been waiting patiently for years to hear something new from Carl McCoy, you'd be overjoyed. The songs featured on this album have that well known Nephilim sound and vibe, but heavier, with hard metallic guitars and drums. Also it features more sound effects processed vocals for a more "modern" sound. They do it well without sounding trendy, however one of my favorite aspects of FoTN is Carl's amazing and at times alien voice. The fuzzed out fx and vocoder on a couple songs do too much to cover his voice. That's only a minor problem however and doesn't really take away from the enjoyment of the music. The songs are dark indeed and bring to mind early Nephilim, Elizium and Carl's other project Nefilim. It's too bad the record company went ahead and released this without the bands consent, but it's still a great collection of songs and plus, it means we have more to look forward to in the future.

LEAVE THIS ALBUM ON THE SHELF. IT IS STATED BY CARL MCCOY THAT HE DOES NOT ENDORSE THIS RELEASE AND ONE CAN HEAR WHY. IT IS INCOMPLETE AND DOES NOT FIT IN WITH THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE NEPHILIM FROM WHICH ZOON DIFFERS FROM ELIZIUM AND SO ON DOWN THE LINE. THIS RELEASE IS ONLY OF USE IF YOU MANAGE TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE LTD EDITION VERSION WHICH FEATURES A BONUS DISC OF LIVE SONGS FROM THE FOREVER REMAIN VHS RELEASE. IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS BAND YOUR FIRST PURCHASE SHOULD BE ELIZIUM. BUY IT AND FIND OUT WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING SINCE IT WAS RELEASED IN 1991 AND THEN ENJOY THE NEPHILIM JOURNEY FOR YOURSELF.

McCoy and company have returned in somewhat controversial form under an album released without the band's full endorsement by the record company so unusually this is a sort of demo listen to what seem to be good solid bases for tracks but something ultimately unfinished. The opener "Dead to the World" rings out with haunting samples and a sort of watery melancholy before the volume creeps in with a slow toughness. The opener is experimental and brief before one is taken away by the first discernable track "From the Fire". Almost in the same vein as Elizium with shimmering chords deep in the mix and the first words "I am certain of the way now" where we recognize McCoys beckoning croon. "Thirst" is a brief metal track with samples brought on with a terrifying delivery. The remake of "Darkcell" is on here which leads us to "Subsanity". Catchy, heavy and ultimately unbeatable by Nephilim standards. A real live track. "Hollow Doll" brings us back to the days of dark and deep gothic rock. "Fallen and "Deeper" Are a bit repetitive and quite heavy at some points almost not discernible. "Premonition" is an experimental instrumental which ends us with the remake of "Trees Come Down". All in all it's a pretty decent set of demos which seem somewhat unfinished and roughly mixed. The potential is there but what can one really say until the final product. It still shows how McCoy sets himself apart from others in the genre both old and new with a strong voice and interesting production.