Customer Reviews

Mourning Sun

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The previous reviewers have, for the most part, expressed views reasonably similar to my own (although I can't hear any stylistic or formal similarity between 'Straight to the Light' and anything off of 'Dawnrazor'!). Long story short, if you are a long time fan of McCoy's work, you will definitely find something to enjoy on this record. I would, however, add the following caveat: Apart from a few seconds here and there, mostly buried in the mix, there is virtually no lead guitar, distorted or otherwise, (or lead anything, for that matter) on this entire record. The guitars have been buried deep in the mix, as almost pure texture... even the solo in 'She' (an excellent moment, btw) is largely hidden behind the low-end/rhythm instruments, while the record's hardest track, 'Xiberia' (also outstanding) has likewise relegated its guitar to the very bottom of the mix.

Overall, 'Mourning Sun' is a largely keyboard-driven affair, always striving for atmosphere over catchiness, which is why no single was marketed. McCoy himself said that the songs were not to be listened to individually, but as a whole. That might be why the decision was made to include the vaguely poppy cover of Zager & Evans, 'In the Year 2525,' which is probably as close to tongue-in-cheek as McCoy is likely to get (well, aside from the utterly bizarre decision to record Roxy Music's ode to physical love with a blow-up doll, 'In Every Dream Home a Heartache'...).

At any rate, the pronounced de-emphasis of the guitar was probably a necessary means to distance this project from the uber-metal of 'Zoon'. Fans of the old FotN's Tony Pettit and his distinctive bass stylings will find much to like in the recurring bass riff that drives songs like 'Straight to the Light,' or the slower, mid-range heavy bass (a la 'Celebrate') of 'She.' McCoy's vocals are also exceptional, being more in line with 'Elizium' than 'Zoon' this time around, although the "look up! look down!" bits in 'Straight to the Light' are pure death metal ;)

One other point unremarked upon by the other reviewers... the paper, upon which the booklet was printed, is of the highest quality I have ever encountered in a commercial CD release- it appears to be the same paper used for upper end graphic novels, which probably increased the production cost of this limitied edition disc. Odd's are, they will likely revert to regular paper for the non-limited release, so if you're into presentation, make sure to buy the limited edition. All in all, it is a fine record, which has gotten better with every listen, as its subtleties have wormed their way into my brain... I had initially planned on giving it four stars because it didn't immediately grab me by the throat, as did 'Zoon', 'Dawnrazor', and the eponymous 'Nephilim' LP, but I have since decided that this reaction is unfair to the source material. 'Elizium' also required the listener to be patient and let itself unfold in its own time and in its own way. This record clearly recquires the same level of dedication... it is neither quick, nor easy, but it can be deeply rewarding, if given the chance.


Edit: Amazon says that the limited edition includes a video. It does not. However, the previously mentioned bonus track, 'In the Year 2525,' is well worth springing for the limited edition.

Dear Carl,

10 years... we have waited 10 years for this album. We have waited for YOUR touch, YOUR story, YOUR blessing. That other "album" that came out between Zoon and now... well, we KNOW it wasn't YOURS. We could tell... I have one thing to say to you - thank you.

If the opening portion of this review isn't enough of an indicator, I will make it plain and simple for those reading - I admire and respect the mind of Carl McCoy. In other words - I am a pretty big fan of the Nephilim in all its incarnations.

In FotN speak - McCoy has proven his statement - "I am the Nephilim." After he said these immortal words, our boys dropped off the radar. The Nephilim are back... and McCoy is looking alot like the 5th Horseman.

If you have never heard of the Nephilim, feel free to purchase this album - this is where the Nephilim has evolved to. This is the now of Carl McCoy.

I have seen some people liken this to Elizium. While there are certain similarities, I think it is fairly myopic to say there is no musical progression from then til now. Elizium was a smooth progression from "The Nephilim"... just as that album was a progression from "Dawnrazor". With each album we heard Carl tell us that his vision was becoming clearer... I read where he stated that it took him three albums to get that message across. It was almost a coaxing of will that created those albums. Always over the top, always bombastic, the Nephilim ARE larger than life. He also stated that with his Nefilim release of Zoon, he said what he wanted to with one album... Where his first message was a gradual and melodic surge, his second message reflected an explosive urgency... almost volcanic in nature. Fans of the Fields of the Nephilim were thrown back and many shunned the album as Carl's experiment with Death Metal...

Mourning Sun is the next step. We hear the melodic elements of early the Fields v1.0, but we also hear some of the harshness of Zoon. There is an urgency here...

My first listen to this album was difficult - I was hoping for Elizium v2.0. I needed to put it away for a few days after the first couple of listens and see what happened. It didn't take long. I accepted the fact that Elizium was the past... that Zoon was the past. McCoy was back with lessons learned. I started to hear bass lines in my head... lyrics started to creep into my consciousness again... "I'll fly again!" "We didn't fall from Heaven, we didn't fall for you!" Hello?

Roots... Welcome to the Requiem for our first Gods... welcome to a mourning for the Simurgh. This is the past given homage. Combine the writing of Andrew Collins, religions, and the mystical ponderings of Mr. McCoy, add a dash of genius, a pinch of incredible song writing, and just a touch of over the top production and showmanship... and you have the idea. From this end, here we find the new beginning in a New Gold Dawn. This is the future.

Mourning Sun is nothing short of phenomenal. When I am not listening to it, I miss it. The energy in this album will take you by the hand and lead you to where McCoy wants you to go. For a first listen, I highly recommend a good set of speakers.. you first need to FEEL this album... After that, put it aside for a day or two. Things will start calling to you from the layer upon layer that you heard.. the next time, listen with headphones and a glass of your favorite mellowing intoxicant. Absorb this album as a whole and you will find something that music these days just fails to offer any more-

THIS ALBUM HAS A SOUL.

If you think the vocals are over the top, listen closer... It isn't an act. It isn't an affected attitude. The Preacherman has indeed returned. His Watchers are thankful.

I've been a Fields of the Nephilim fan since a friend exposed me to their Buring the Fields EP just before Dawnrazor was released in 1986 or 87. I still have everything they ever released on vinyl for God's sake! I only flirted with the goth lifestyle (if there is such a thing) back in high school and freshman year of college, but FotN has been there all along the way. To say that this music has staying power is an understatement! That said, Mourning Sun is so incredibly refreshing and reassuring in an era when the music press tells us that corporate packaged pap like Evanascence, Marilyn Manson, and various death metal bands or pop in black mascara are gothic rock. Beyond comparisons to the wannabe-goth of today, it is simply a great album! For anyone who hasn't heard Fields of the Nephilim's "Dawnrazor," "The Nephilim," and "Elizium" albums (not to mention Sisters of Mercy's "First and Last and Always" and "Floodland," and The Mission's "The First Chapter" and "God's Own Medicine"), first buy those! Then, buy Mouring Sun!!! It is by far the finest true gothic rock album released since Elizium, what?, 16 years ago?

By the way, I like McCoy's "Zoon" too, though the only pure gothic rock track on it is "Shine." However, that one track alone is well worth the price of the album... It is really an ULTRA-classic.

Oh, and a comment for those who bemoan the absence of the original band members... I'd love to see a reunion too, but only if it would make the end result stronger. The original FotN was wonderful then, and Carl and Co. is cranking out wonderful work now, so who's to complain?!? Come on Carl! Do it at least one more time! Preferably before 2021!

Well! it's been ten years in the waiting but now it's finally here. Having followed the career of Fields of the Nephilim since 1987 I have to admit that I was somewhat nervous as I put this CD in the machine and pressed play. This for all intents and purposes was a solo outing for McCoy, and I was unsure as to how much this album would reflect, if any of those that had gone before.
Should I have been worried? was this just an awful disappointment, an album containing a mish mash of tracks and over production to compensate for it's lack of originality?
.....NO is the answer ABSOLUTELY NOT!
This is a blistering album of the highest quality that we have come to expect from FOTN. Swirling soundscapes abound, wrapped around Carl's grating and mournful vocals, drawing the listener in and absorbing them. There are certain aspects of Mourning sun that hark back to Elysium and beyond and I'm sure this was no coinceidence. Fans of FOTN will feel themselves blown back to the days of university gigs, of stages shrouded in dry ice and McCoy standing at the head of it all surrounded by a whrilwind of smoke and flour.
I will partially agree with the comments made here with regards to Carls voice being too much in the forground on certain tracks. However I feel that although suprising at first it becomes something that fits right in after a couple of listens and doesn't detract from the tight feel of this memorable comeback album. In fact this should be seen a stepping stone for future ventures from McCoy. Let's just hope that he doesn't take so long next time......We wait with arms outstretched.

It's been 15 years (nine, if you count McCoy's solo "Zoon" under the phonetic name The Nefilim) since the album "Elizium", and finally the Fields of the Nephilim have released a new album! OK, there was an unsanctioned bootleg of demo tracks released a couple years ago called "Fallen", but that doesn't count (even if one track was actually ok).

"Mourning Sun" is fantastic!

For all of McCoy's statements that its a progression from their previous stuff, I'm not sure I see it. There is certainly a modern polish, but I would call this a synthesis of their previous work. The first song 'Shroud (Exordium)' feels like their second album "The Nephilim". The second 'Straight into the Light' is like their first album "Dawnrazor". Third song 'New Gold Dawn' is back to "The Nephilim". The fourth 'Requiem XIII 33 (Le Veilleur Silencieux)' is their third and last album "Elizium". The fifth song 'Xiberia (Seasons in the Ice Cage)' is "Zoon"-ish. And the final two "She" and "Mourning Sun" are also Elizium.

I quite disliked "Zoon", which I found repetitive and, well, loud. But the song 'Xiberia' works a lot better in context of an album where it represents a breakout before the melodic two-part finish.

This listing is for the limited edition, which has a bonus track called 'In the Year 2525' which I've not heard.

Being a fan of FOTN for years, I've long followed another great fav of mine - Killing Joke; while not exactly Goth, but pioneers and godfathers nonetheless (take a listen to their "Hosanna in the basement of hell"), they can still convey apocalyptic sceneries and hidden messages. Few bands can pull you into their world, and Fields of the Nephs belong to the few.
The new FOTN is a let down in production and mixing, there is no sense of depth in the likeness of the superbly engineered and recorded Elysium. No, I'm not measuring it with Elysium musically, because I can appreciate the art that went into crafting some great moments on Mourning Sun. Drums have lost their awesome acoustic resonance and impact that we were once used to, guitars are often buried, Carl's voice is way too upfront (agree with other commentator), yet more beautiful than ever, angelic choirs and female vocals are transporting (this never existed on previous albums).
Drowning most of the album in synthetic percussion will take some getting use to; something I once held against the Sisters of Mercy's (drum machine) nick named "DOKTOR AVALANCHE", although they did put it to good effect many a time. For instance, I've always preferred "First and Last and Always" which was more acoustic.
This seems to be a sin that befalls great "Goth-fathers", for better or worse (not always unforgivable might I add).
In the case of "The Fields" new album; we have a very different beast. The fact that there is hardly no one other than Carl (and some occasional guests), pulling some "Front 242" style programming is testament enough of genius; Carl offers us his own nightmares with zeal and mesmerizing seduction; his work of art.
What we have here is "the evolution of FOTN", while never losing sight of the essence of who they once were. Much in the way of "Zoon" being a natural progression in its own time and space, Mourning Sun is still Carl's enduring vision.
This is an artist in isolation willing to share some beautifully ethereal and deeply entrancing music "still in a smoky yet truly colorful display".
To be digested with caution, but mouth watering... it surely is!

Although I am still unsure about this cd, I find it to be brilliant and very intriguing. It's hard to litsen to in one sitting because it is so heavy, but you will never hear anything quite like this ever again.

...First let me say I've been a fan of FotN/Nefilim/Nephilim A.D. since 1987-- eighteen years now. I like Zoon, and although we all know the reasons the quality of Fallen is so poor, I still like it, too. But just because this is a FotN release doesn't mean I have to give it a perfect 5 stars; I only give it four stars.

...The music is great. I disagree with others that say the songs are too long. I don't think the songs are too long. I like long songs. I give it 4 stars for one reason: McCoys vocals are mixed too loudly into the songs. By the time the third song, "New Gold Dawn," starts, you want to turn the volume down, or skip to another song, hoping he isn't overpowering the music on another song.

..."Straight in to the Light" sounds like the faster material on "Fallen." Others complain that the lyrics are too "metal:" "Look up/ Look down." I like the aggressive lyrics. For me the weakness of the song is the chorus: "Straight in to the light/ Straight in to the light/ you and I will fly again/ you and I again." There's just nothing there. A stronger chorus would make the song so much better.

... "New Gold Dawn" is the track that suffers the most from McCoy's over-amped vocals. The song would be much better without his unaccompanied sililoquy at the beginning of the song.

...I love the soundeffects, except for one: a baby crying. Yes, I know the lyrics relate to a Watcher/Angel's rebirth in corporeal form after banishment: "Come home/ Malach now/ To your father/ Now cover his face so that he may not see the light/(baby crying)/ That's the one:/ Malach menoodehah [means,'banished angel'] I return you/"). Still, it doesn't work here. Baby crying just does not belong in aggressive music.

... I love the themes, the music, the "aural soundscapes". As others have said, there are elements vaguely reminiscent of Elyzium, but I felt the album is more like the "Chaocracy"-Zoon-Fallen era than pre-91 FotN.

..."Xiberia" is the most "Zoon-ish" cut on the album and since I love Zoon, it's my favorite track. Xiberia is fastpaced and brutal. Others complain it is too "electronic." To me, it's the best cut on the album, period. My foot can't keep out of the gas pedal when it comes on in my car, and the safety switch in my amp keeps shutting it down at home because I keep cranking it too loudly!

...Certainly the second half of the album ("Xiberia," "She," and "Mourning Sun") is the better half. "She" and "Mourning Sun" are epics that rise apprpriately FotN-style. "She" is the track that reminds me most of Elyzium. "Mourning Sun" is most reminiscent of the material on "Fallen."

...The album is very good. The soundbites and samples are awesome. Just wish the vocals were turned down a couple of decibels... Carl's voice always added its best, eeriest effects when you had to struggle to hear what he was saying.

This disc is worth my $30.00.

This album is not as metal heavy as ZOON but is very heavy in sombering, dark atmospheres and emotion. Most songs really grabbed me and pulled me into it's realm of dimentia.

I did not care for the last track, IN THE YEAR 2525 - It had an early FOTN rock n roll vibe which I thought ruined the flow of the album. What I am also disappointed in is that this is not really a complete band. It is only Carl McCoy and some other dude he hired to do bass & guitar and the drums are all programmed. The music does sound a bit artificial due to it's programmed industrial elements.

If you loved ELIZIUM, chances are, you will enjoy this one also.

So, this is probably the best thing you'll hear this year. (Note to Amazon: It's "Mourning Sun," not "Morning Sun.") At any rate, Carl McCoy has gone back to referring to himself once again as Fields of The Nephilim - instead of The Nefilim - and has given us Mourning Sun. Ten years have come and gone since his last work, "Zoon," and there is at least one parallel between Zoon and Mourning Sun: Zoon consists of one great song, the splendid "Shine," surrounded by brutal, pummelling and unfortunately mostly forgettable, metal. The high water mark of Mourning Sun is the excellent "New Gold Dawn," which is cushioned on either side by 7 and 8 minute songs notable not for their melodies, but for their gloomy, foreboding atmospheres. Mourning Sun is a welcome return to Elyzium-style FOTN. I just wish Mr. McCoy wouldn't take so long in between projects...