Fervence – Constructs
Fervence – Constructs
Metal Blade Records
16/10/26
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8/10
New blood. Fervence. Having only been around since 2020, the Texas based band have already captured the attention of Metal Blade records with “Constructs” being the label debut for the band. Metal Blade don’t sign nobodies after all; they’ve just put out the blockbuster new album for titans Amon Amarth “The Allfather Awakens”. So, what have Metal Blade seen in Fervence and what should we expect?
Vocalist Stevie was a happy accident for the band in many ways. Originally fronted by guitarist Austin, Stevie speculatively approached the band with a hope of securing an audition. So impressed by her voice, 4 became 5 and the band had a dedicated lead vocalist. Stevie shows her value to the band with her dynamic range. Whether it’s her cleaner warm and inviting vocals in ‘Oculum’, or the gut wrenching power in the delivery behind the chorus in ‘Miasma’, she’s simply incredible! Though she can switch things up and demonstrate her vicious screams in ‘Zenith’. Though her superpower really lies in when she unleashes what can only be described as a blood-curdling super-duper high falsetto shriek, reaching levels most mortals can only dream of! Check out ‘Interwoven’ for evidence of this; think of Architects lead vocalist for an idea. She’s backed up superbly by the rest of the band in the vocal department too to add extra energy and depth to the vocal offering.
Fervence describe themselves as progressive metal. There’s definitely a modern metalcore spine, with the crunching guitars and punchy bass lines to hold down the melody and rhythm of the band, as well more complex time signatures and a textural approach like that of Tesseract, Jinjer, or other heavier progressive metal acts. Though the band lean heavily into an array of synths to add drama and urgency to the music, as well as adding an additional focal point. To supplement the crushing power of Stevie’s vocals. The pace throughout the album is slower than what you’d typically expect from a modern metal act. Rather than frantic blast beats and sprints, they prefer to stay in the slower, more groove-laden lane. Though slow doesn’t mean any less devastating, as ‘Maelstrom’ will demonstrate. Or when they just get straight up nasty and abrasive in ‘Ascension’ with some of the grittiest and dirty guitar tones on the album! Yep, they throw the kitchen sink at you in this 2.5-minute blitz! If you have time for one song, make it ‘Providence’. With scorching lead guitars, pulsating rhythms and Stevie singing like her life depends on it, this encapsulates the emotionally driven sound the band thrive on!
So, being a guy that prefers to stay in his lane of black, death, and post metal, it’s rare I venture into the world of metalcore. With that being said, Fervence are nothing like bands in a genre that are frankly clones of one another. No, Fervence has identity and has offered something very fresh and innovative. I’ve listened to this countless times already. And plan on listening to this multiple times more. A genuine album of the year contender.
TACKLISTING:
01. Pathways
02. Oculum
03. Interwoven
04. Miasma
05. Maelstrom
06. The Things We Can’t See
07. Zenith
08. Ghost II
09. Ascension
10. Providence
11. Constructs
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Oli Gonzalez and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
