Interview: Fellwarden

Photo by Artur Tarczewski

Legends of old are littered throughout England’s history, filled with tales of knights, battles, and mythology. Some true, some not true, the lore is rife within the halls of castles and dungeons along the countryside.

Out from the ashes and memories of the dark, conflicted history of the land arose Fellwarden, a black metal project that embodies everything we love about fantasy and legend. Founded by “The Watcher”, the vocalist of black metal band Fen, Fellwarden is a masterpiece project that will make your mead bubble over with mirth and your mind escape into a distant past.

We’re honored to have the opportunity to share this chat with The Watcher where we talk all things Fellwarden, London, the arts, and why Brits like a good ole cup o’ tea.

Thanks so much for joining Blacforje for an interview! It’s a pleasure having you share your story with us. You’re based in the United Kingdom, right? What part?

Thanks for the interview. I am indeed based in the United Kingdom, and I live in London. I moved here in 1997 to study and never really left! I know London doesn’t have a great reputation in some circles, and a lot of folk here in the U.K. like to moan about it. However, I still think it is an amazing city. It demands a lot of a person – it’s expensive, busy, crowded, and massive, but if you can commit and give something of yourself to it, it can give an incredible amount back. Vibrancy, diversity, opportunity, culture, and excitement are all here to be enjoyed.

Of course, it goes without saying that is somewhat the antithesis of the soaring landscapes that fuel much of Fellwarden’s imagery and inspiration! Given my predominantly urban surroundings, I often yearn for space, tranquility, and the sense of timelessness one feels when exposed to nature, and luckily, my parents are still based in the fens in the Suffolk countryside. This means I get to visit the area fairly regularly to spend time walking under the huge skies of East Anglia. In addition to this, my partner’s family are from northern England, also. So, again, we try to take regular trips to the rugged landscapes there. The Peak District and the Lake District are places we visit often, as they contain some of the finest vistas in the country.

As with everything in life, it is about balance and contrasts – the thrill of the City and the rugged splendor of the fells offer the perfect counterpoint to keep life engaging and interesting. This, ultimately, is the source of a lot of my creative inspiration.

Photo by Artur Tarczewski

So, for fans of Fellwarden, the glaring question everyone wants to ask is likely this: when can we expect new music? Your last album, Songs of Origin and Spirit, was released in 2020. Is there anything in the works?

Well, the material for Songs of Origin and Spirit was actually constructed as an EP, really, given it runs to around twenty minutes in length. I essentially provided four tracks to what was a label compilation of four artists. It was developed as a response to the hell of lockdown in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. I felt a burning need to do SOMETHING with the time I had on my hands, so I started to work on some more atmospheric, ambient pieces. Given we were trapped in our domiciles for the foreseeable future, there was no way I could make any “full metal” in any convincing way, so I took the decision to go down a folkier path – acoustic guitars, frame drums, synths. Something with a more mystical, reflective flavour I guess.

I raised the idea with Eisenwald of putting this out as a digital release during lockdown, just as a way of doing something a little more “left field”, to showcase a different facet of the project. It was also intended to keep interest in both the label and the project alive during those dark times – almost a “Don’t worry, we’re still doing stuff!” kind of release! Eisenwald actually really liked the idea, so I reached out to some other artists on the label – Osi and the Jupiter, Mosaic and By The Spirits – and in the end, the four of us contributed a selection of material to create a full-length compilation.

But, to answer the question more fully, yes, there certainly is something else in the works. The third full-length album has been completed for some time now and is just in the final phase of finishing off layouts and so on. It was written and recorded over a period of time from around 2020 – 2023, so it’s been something of a labour of love. Nevertheless, I am extremely proud of it. I opted to work with a different group of musicians this time around, and the inspiration/atmosphere of the material is something of a departure from the previous two full-length albums. The results, I think, speak for themselves, and I really do feel this is one of the strongest albums I have ever been involved with.

It is something of a departure from the first two albums, for sure. That needs to be emphasised. I wanted to make something more guitar/vocal driven this time around, so I decided not to utilize any keys/synths. Instead, the atmospherics are driven by layered vocals and guitar countermelodies. There is also an increased emphasis on guitar riffs – motifs and themes being delivered in a full-blooded, heavy metal fashion!

A lot of thought went into this approach, and a long time was spent honing each piece to really drive home the epic, defiant, and reflective themes I wanted to deliver with the record. It’s certainly a bold statement – both thematically and musically, being a concept album based on one of my biggest influences from the realms of fantasy literature. But I would hope that those who have appreciated what has been released previously will resonate with this record.

You released three albums between 2017 – 2020, so you were clearly busy with Fellwarden during that season. What have you been doing the past couple years, whether it be related to Fellwarden or something else?

That 2017 – 2020 period looks prolific from the outside, but in reality, I had taken a lot of time with the releases. The debut that was released in 2017 was three years in the making, and 2020’s Wreathed in Mourncloud also took a good couple of years to come to fruition. Release dates can also be skewed by label schedules, waiting for artwork to be finalized, layouts, pressing plants, and a number of factors.

Nevertheless, the third Fellwarden record has been in development for what feels like an age. I started recording it in late 2021, and I think the whole thing was finally finished/mixed/mastered by early 2023, so it did take some time. Part of that was my fault. I originally intended to mix it myself, realized after a time that this approach simply wasn’t doing the album justice, and therefore got my good friend, Chris Fielding from Skyhammer Audio, to oversee the mixing. We also spent time making sure we got some truly evocative artwork put together, high-quality promotional photos, and a number of other elements. Ultimately, when balancing this sort of creative quality control with a full-time job and basic adult life responsibilities, it all adds up!

Not only this, I do have other musical commitments that I need to consider. Chief among these is Fen. We also had a new album in the works for some time which was finally released in July 2023, so there was a lot that needed to be done throughout late 2022 and early 2023 to prepare for this. Of course, following the album being released, we then needed to work on live shows and gig bookings, which can consume a fair bit of time and energy! I also play in a classic/epic heavy metal band called Phaethon, and we recorded our debut album last year. This should hopefully see the light in 2024, and again, required significant focus/dedication. So yes, it’s been a busy period these last couple of years, for sure! 2024 will definitely be the year of the third Fellwarden album though; of this there is no doubt.

Photo by Artur Tarczewski

How would you self-describe your style and musical thematic elements?

At the risk of plundering well-worn cliches, the first word I always come back to is “epic” – epic sounds, epic themes. I know it is an over-used adjective, but I simply cannot help it. I have to be honest and go with what I know is the truth. Since the very inception of this project, the goal has been to create stirring, inspiring hymns rooted in atmosphere, myth, folklore, legend, and literature. To create a world of landscape, of defiance and sacrifice, channeled through the sounds of thundering heavy metal – the only way to properly summarise this is to label it as “epic”.

I have always been drawn to music that is transportive and affecting. At it’s best, it has the power to transcend, to take the mind and soul on a journey, to draw the listener into a new world and tell evocative stories. This is what I am trying to do with Fellwarden via the medium of extreme, atmospheric metal. Much of my influence is inevitably drawn from the more sweeping, soaring end of the black metal spectrum – early Ulver, Moonsorrow, early/mid Emperor, mid period Bathory – as well as some of the sensibilities of the classic/epic metal sound (early Manowar and Warlord). It’s important to me that this is first and foremost METAL music. Riffs are important! Nevertheless, it is as much about that as it is about the layering, the repeating and building of musical motifs, and the drive to forge compelling, stirring hymns.

Not only this, the music HAS to support the conceptual themes addressed. Certainly for the forthcoming third album, themes of defiance, of sacrifice, and destiny stood at the very forefront of the lyrical inspiration. The music had to support this. It was absolutely key that it was able to strike the right balance between contemplative reflection, dark despair, and epic metal thunder.

Would you say that spirituality, faith, and/or philosophy play a part in your life individually and artistically?

If by “faith” you essentially mean theism in some capacity, then absolutely not. No. Religion in the theistic sense is not something I feel any alignment to whatsoever. Philosophically, I am more rooted in more fundamental existential and metaphysical considerations. How/why are we here? The meaning of truth and consciousness. Language, thought, and the development of culture/society. Now, this may seem at odds with the topics addressed within Fellwarden’s albums and the way in which they are presented. However, I can assure you this is not the case. 

Such thoughts and outlooks underpin the fundamental nature of what it is to be human, and the themes of Fellwarden are ultimately stories of human considerations. It is my opinion that most (if not all) pathways to spirituality are just further footsteps through a never-ending journey of philosophical internal dialogues and enlightenments. We may not have even articulated such internalized debates in this fashion to ourselves, however, the notions of truth-seeking, of self-discovery, of searching for something “more”, well, who can argue that these aren’t the intrinsic drivers behind the lives of most of us?

This is, therefore, important to me on both levels – individually AND artistically – as the two are inseparable. There may be more of a storytelling, almost parable-esque nature to the way in which Fellwarden is expressed. However, this is very much underpinned – and indeed, an expression of – my own individualistic worldview. It is a constant process of discovery and is not in any way a fixed outlook; it’s an iterative process.

So, in this sense, much of the storytelling within Fellwarden is rooted in discussion of what it means to be human, my life outlook and worldview, shaped by my experiences and my own philosophies. And these outlooks can be inspired from so many sources – as an example, the forthcoming record is based on a novel by the British fantasy author, David Gemmell - a book that, in itself, was a metaphor for facing up against a life-threatening illness and coming to terms with mortality and the transient nature of life. This had a profound effect upon me as a young teenager and began to forge my own views on defiance, honour, self-sacrifice, and integrity. 

What influences you as an artist? Literature? Cinema? Nature?

As discussed previously, my influences for Fellwarden are taken from a number of sources that underpin my worldview. Nevertheless, the drive to create and that motivational surge to write music steeped in atmosphere is generally ignited by the power of nature combined with the most stirring, evocative texts fantasy literature has to offer. Tolkien, Steven Erikson, Robin Hobb, and David Gemmell are the key players here - Tolkien and Erikson for their incredible, awe-inspiring world-building, whilst Gemmell and Hobb bring to life truly realized, empathetic characters that simply rang true in the tales of their struggles to come to terms with their flaws against backdrops of strife and challenge.

Allied with these sources of influence, of course, the rolling landscapes of these isles can’t help but inspire. There is so much here that can help fuel the flames of inspiration. Of course, the rearing fells of northeastern England have evoked much of the thematic imagery across the previous two releases, most notably the last album Wreathed in Mourncloud. And indeed, the name of the project is derived from these landscapes. However, the verdant shires of the Cotswolds, the bleak moors of Yorkshire and Devon, even the vast flat plains of the fens – all of these have their place in delivering a sense of space, belonging and fascination. They act as a mirror to elements of our humanity, inspire thoughts of times long past, of peoples long forgotten, fueling the storytelling yet further.

I’ve got to be honest, I’m not much of a cinema buff myself. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy (and recognize) a good film. However, for me, it’s a medium I use to switch off somewhat - a way to relax and let the brain marinate in an experience that’s a little less demanding. This isn’t to denigrate the art of filmmaking at all, and I fully acknowledge that it can be a hugely sophisticated vessel for expression. It’s just I only have so much mental bandwidth, and as music and reading take up so much space within my brain, I’ll generally fire up a film to collapse in front of and have a beer or two as a way of taking the strain off the cortex for a couple of hours.

Speaking of which, the influence of fine craft beer and single malt whisky needs to be mentioned. Certainly the latter, and the creative process of songwriting/riff-crafting very much go hand in hand. A measure of fine single malt whisky can be as evocative as a bracing walk in the twilit peaks and spur the same facets of inspiration.

Will you play any live shows in the near future? If so, where and when?

The debut live show is actually in the calendar and will be at the Fortress Festival here in the U.K. on the first weekend of June 2024 in the coastal town of Scarborough. It is an excellent looking event. The organizer (Gary/Reaper Promotions) has pulled out all of the stops to make it an unmissable event to anyone interested in the more atmospheric side of black metal. Panopticon, Wolves in the Throne Room, Blackbraid, Tryptikon… The lineup is hugely impressive, and we’re honoured to stand amongst such acts.

We’re working hard in preparation for this, and I’m pleased with how it’s shaping up. We’re aiming to keep it quite lean and focus more on the forthcoming record, particularly because two of the other members of the band played on this record. So, we won’t be using synths, and instead, will be using guitars/vocals to drive atmosphere. It’s a four piece lineup. The guys have really put their work into it in preparation with, frankly quite, humbling dedication and commitment. The vibes are great, it’s sounding good in the rehearsal room, and so, I’m really looking forward to the show! 

I like to ask a really stupid question to end every interview, just because I can (and I’m a bit sarcastic). That said, if you don’t want to answer this question, I don’t blame you one single bit. The question: What’s with you Brits drinking that watery crap you call tea? Coffee exists – something with actual robust flavor. Is the tea the reason you people across the pond are the way you are?

I take it by “the way you are” you mean refined, understated, evocative and complex? If so, absolutely. Tea in its myriad forms is a sophisticated and subtle beverage that demands patience and sensitivity to allow its true qualities to shine through. Of course, there are plenty of folk over here who, like yourselves, prefer to bludgeon both their tastebuds and their central nervous systems with various over-caffeinated coffee drinks, but the true connoisseur will always, ALWAYS opt for a cup of tea for refreshment and stimulation. I generally tend to opt for either an Earl Grey or a Lady Grey given the choice for that added lighter tang. In fact, I may well go and make one now…  

You can follow Fellwarden on Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook.