Feversea – Man Under Erasure
Release Date: 23rd May 2025
Label: Dark Essence Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Metal, Black Metal, Sludge, Shoegaze, Post-Punk, Neofolk.
FFO: Cult of Luna, Russian Circles, Grima, IRESS, Celeste, The Ocean, +++.
Review By: Mark Waight
“Man Under Erasure” is the stunning debut album from Oslo based Norwegian post-metal band, Feversea. Drawing on influences from black metal, sludge metal and shoegaze, Feversea crisscross a whole host of other genres too with comfortable and intoxicating ease.
Feversea is Ada Lonne Emberland (vocals), Isak Lonne Emberland (guitars), Alexander Lange (guitars), Aleksander Johnsen Solberg (bass) and Jeremie Malezieux (drums).
Futuristic instrumental title track “Man Under Erasure” leads us gently in and slowly ratchets up the barometric pressure in eager anticipation of what is to come next. Following on nicely, the atmospheric and pitch black “Murmur Within the Skull of God” delivers a haunting and thumping riff to really get you in the mood and get those hairs on the back of your neck tingling.
The equally dark and disturbing “New Creatures Replace our Names” pulsates and pounds firmly on the front door, begging for you to fling any barriers wide open and let those gloriously gloomy soundwaves in before they’re torn off their hinges. The bleak and uncomfortable “Decider” is both beautifully brutal and angelically lighter in patches too, the ghostly screaming vocals are simply stunning and an absolute joy to behold.
The heavily folk influenced “Sunkindling” conjures up vivid images of ancient pagan ceremonies performed under dim torchlight around the roaring hearth fires in the halls of our fathers. Pictures of our long since extinct, painted faced ancestors dancing and chanting late into the hours of darkness spring enchantingly to life once more. With a much heavier ambience, “Invocation” is like a terrifying pit of desperation with a very dark underbelly that drags you down into the depths of hell as you struggle to break free from its vice-like grip.
With a much faster pace and some superb banshee like screaming vocals, “Until it goes Away” rips its way through at lightning speed, leaving you floored by its shock and awe. Epic closing track “Kindred Spirit” does exactly that as it calls out to like-minded souls from across the old pine forests, winding rivers and cragged mountains to join the moot. The beautiful sirens vocals carry the message afar by gentle flowing melodies that are irresistibly entwined with blacker moments in a jaw dropping composition
One listen of “Man Under Erasure” is certainly not enough to form a definitive opinion, because it is one of that rare group of albums whose fondness by you will undoubtedly grow more overtime. Once that initial seed has been planted and nurtured by Feversea it steadily flourishes in your mind’s eye revealing just a little bit more to you with each play, making “Man Under Erasure” something much more suitable for the long haul rather than instant gratification. Feversea are an enigmatic, interesting and exciting new band whose progress I will now be following very closely over the next couple of years to see what comes next. Recommended!
(4 / 5)
