Fenris Fuzz – Freaky Stories Of Daily Life CD EP (Eternalis Records)

Here’s a special treat for those who love their post-hardcore music heavy, fuzzy, abrasive, raw, and outstandingly performed. This release arrived at Thoughts Words Action headquarters among the others, but I decided to start with this one today because it’s fresh and sounds incredible. Freaky Stories Of Daily Life is a debut extended play by Fenris Fuzz, a French post-hardcore band formed by some members of Fire At Will. Nevertheless, be prepared for something completely different because Fenris Fuzz‘s sound goes way beyond melodic hardcore and explores much more raw, sludge, stoner post-hardcore waters. It’s one of those releases you’ll unquestionably love if you’re into these genres, but also, I highly advise those who’re not into heavy post-hardcore to give this release a chance because there’s not the slightest doubt in my mind you’ll love it.

Freaky Stories Of Daily Life carries six profoundly detailed post-hardcore compositions that unquestionably differ from the vast percentage of the bands on the contemporary hardcore scene. Fenris Fuzz incorporates many complementary genres in their music, so each upcoming song slightly differs from the preceding one, but the entire material sounds compact and unique. Of course, you may find some similarities with some renowned or less-known bands, but in the end, Fenris Fuzz stands out from the crowd mainly because of their excellent ideas and skillful musicianship. It’s nearly mindblowing how elements of stoner or sludge fit the primary post-hardcore direction and aesthetics of the band. However, you may also stumble upon less dominant ingredients like post-rock, post-metal, and metalcore. Still, Fenris Fuzz remains loyal to post-hardcore, and these ingredients are only hearable here and there.

It seems that abrasive, raw, fuzzy, heavily distorted guitars are the main signatures of this band. The sound is probably achieved by layering several distortion pedals like fuzz and overdrive, but it seems like the band primarily used distortion from the Orange amps while recording. At some points, their riffs sound like a colossal wall of noise, but every guitar part is recorded to perfection, so you’ll hear everything these musicians tried to deliver through their songs. Nevertheless, there are also much cleaner segments covered by guitar effects such as reverb, echo, and delay. These particular moments are more melodic, harmonious, polyphonous, and they serve as such a nice contrast to the heavily distorted side of the group. The warm-sounding basslines are also contributing to the massiveness of the band through cleverly assembled low-end tones, while the excellent drumming performance is responsible for the sheer dynamics of Fenris Fuzz. The lead vocals deliver classic hardcore shoutouts, but you can also hear some clean chants, singalongs, and other vocal maneuvers.

Freaky Stories Of Daily Life possesses everything to keep you entertained for a long time, especially if you’re into the beforementioned genres. It’s a perfect debut extended play release delivered by excellent, creative musicians who’re capable of creating energetic post-hardcore numbers. The EP comes on a compact disc, enhanced by perfectly executed visual identity. You can also listen to this material on streaming services. Head over to Eternalis Records or visit the Fenris Fuzz Bandcamp page for more information about ordering.