There’s not that much out there about the band (and what is out there is in French), I had to contact them directly to get information, and that was interrupted by a personal family matter that has held this review up for some three weeks. But, I do have some information to provide, most of it provided directly from vocalist Elsa Thouvenot who also performs on the violin. Another violinist has been added to the lineup so that part of the music can be expected to expand in future work, a great idea considering how strong that component is already.

According to information provided by the band, it is largely a group of students who met while studying at what they call the "conservatoire", a French school for classical music. They play at various locations in Western Europe, mainly Paris and locations in Germany, with expectations of playing in Belgium and Scandinavia in the near future. As others have said, the metal scene outside Paris is not as strong and many have little understanding of the music Fenrir provides. However, they do work with other bands in France with similar interests, several of whom have been covered on this site including Whyzdom and Benighted Soul. Part of that rat pack of French Gothic bands, all of them talented and working with some similar interests.

Musical themes come from a variety of directions reflecting the make up of the band. The guitar players are reportedly Iron Maiden fans, and those guitars reflect that influence. They tend towards a hard metal direction on most numbers, although there is variety to their work. The drummer comes from a death metal sound, so there is the heavy pounding from that section. And the base is a Rammstein sound, something of a heavy industrial direction. However, the band sees itself as primarily a folk / pagan sound, with the violin taking that to a Celtic feel. Of course, even the name Fenrir reflects this interest, it being drawn from Norse mythology. But the lyrics here are based on Norse / Celtic mythology with some current interest in the more Scottish topics. According to Elsa, this reflects the academic interests of both Sylvère, guitarist and group founder, and herself. She points out that, lyrically, the band’s interest is storytelling, in the tradition of a Tolkein. Consequently, the music tends to parallel this lyrical direction.

The six song set kicks off with The Wanderer. It’s a solid opener, more of a metal direction than much of what you get here. There are solid guitar riffs; a heavy base line and a pounding drum section that drive the Elsa soprano. I guess they have to prove they can do something a little heavy, and this is proof positive. It’s certainly not a death metal sound, there is no growling here, no male vocals at all, just the clear folk-metal clearing the path for some lovely female sounds. The addition of the violin gives it a slightly different feel, one you don’t get in much of this music, it takes it in a different direction and is utilized as a more integral component.

The White Deer slows it down a bit and takes us to a bit of the more traditional Celtic music. The guitars go down a different road, the violins take control and the vocals go in a direction more consistent with the music of the ancients. It is here we begin to realize what Fenrir is truly about. And the lyrics give us a little French to put us in the mood:

Some things just sound so much better in French. The music builds as the song progresses and the lyrics turn to English. The guitars get a little harder, Elsa’s vocals get a little more pronounced, but, in the end, we return to the violin, to the Celtic that drives the Fenrir sound, and all is right with the world.

Frozen Ocean takes us back to a heavier approach to the Celtic. Elsa goes a little more dramatic here; the guitars go a lot more dramatic. The drums take us to that heavy death metal sound we talked about before, but, in the end, it is the violin that defines the number, if only interspersed at critical moments. The song talks about tales of tragedy, the sea has always had an impact in these stories, and it does so again here. Elsa sings:

Metal Jig is a fully instrumental selection, and, much as I love Elsa’s voice, it is my favorite. This is Celtic music at its finest. I had a friend of mine in the car several weeks ago, a blind friend, a big Country Western fan. And he couldn’t stop tappin his foot to this one. Everyone loves this type of music. It is the Irish in us. There is a very popular Irish band called Seven Nations out of St. Petersburg, Florida that plays at all the Highland Games Festivals around the country, considered one of the best of the genre. They have nothing on this selection, it is every bit as good, and I do love Seven Nations. The violin leads the parade, the guitars provide guidance, the rhythm selection gives us support, and the Irish in us is on the floor dancing. A wonderful presentation.

Dawn of God is the most lyrically gothic of the songs presented here. And, it is one of the more metal sounding. The guitars take a harder direction, that Iron Maiden thing I guess. Elsa goes more warrior like. You never lose the classical direction with her vocals, but they can be aimed in different directions. Here, we get the darker side of the Celtic tone, over the darker instrumental direction. Lyrically, the song talks about great battles from the ancient past, the harshness of that lifetime, and the fears of the peoples who lived in those times.　

The final selection is Nightfall, more of the classical Celtic. Vocals and music. Heavy on the violin, with just a hint of a Celtic vocal background. It only goes a minute and a half, but, with its completion, you have the feeling of total satisfaction, the kind that can only come about with this type of music.

Fenrir is a first rate Celtic sound; if you love the Irish, if you love the violin and what it can do for the music, you won’t be disappointed. In fact, my only concern would be a response I got back from Sylvère the night after I e-mailed him that the Saints had won the Super Bowl and that it was one of the greatest nights in history for French Americans. He just didn’t seem to be impressed. I mean, Who dat say dey ain’t celebrating dem Saints? Guess it just didn’t play the same way in Nancy. Oh well, nothings perfect.

9 / 10