Boston sludge/funeral doom crew Fórn went quiet shortly after the release of 2018’s Rites of Despair, their second LP. The release was followed by a series of events, both personal and worldwide, that kept Fórn quiet for the better part of six years. The dry streak ended earlier this year when the quartet announced their third album, Repercussions of the Self.
As guitarist Joey Gonazalez explains, writing Repercussions of the Self was a long process of trial and error, with Gonzalez experimenting with different styles of music.
“I toiled away in private working on a lot of the tracks,” he says. “At the time of writing the record, I was really teetering between where I wanted to take the band next. I was heavily influenced by film score composers like Cristobal Tapia De Veer and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and artists like Massive Attack and Portishead, and of course Nine Inch Nails. I spent a lot of the pandemic making music that fell somewhere in those borders and it felt natural to try and bring those elements into Fórn.”
One big change that you’ll hear on new song “Soul Shadow”—streaming below—is the inclusion of Elizabeth Colour Wheel’s Lane Shi Otayonii as a full member of Fórn; her shimmering electronics and distinct, captivating vocals can be heard throughout Repercussions. That change adds some welcome brightness and dynamic to Fórn’s music, but the dark, heavy core remains intact.
“We always intended for the band to progress beyond the ‘sludge’ nametag,” offers Gonzalez. “We feel that this album accomplishes that mission while still keeping with our classic sound to please the headbangers.”
Repercussions of the Self is out on October 18, but you can listen to “Soul Shadow” below.
