Vancouver prog rockers Fen have been invited to warm things up on the Powder Rocket stage at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler, BC on April 20th. Kicking off their set at noon, Fen will be sharing the stage with DJ Wake Up, Versus The Nothing and Deadwax Collective.
For more info please visit the following link: http://powderrocket.com/wssf/ In additional news,FEN have announced they will be giving away FREE band T-shirts to make room for new merchandise as they encourage their fans to share their tunes and increase their social media presence.
The band has commented the following:
"Dear Grumps,
We're clearing out our merch closet and using it as a shameless excuse to pull a few more listeners out of the woodwork. We'll give away 10 T-shirts if we reach 1000 likes on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/fenmusic. After that, we'll give away 5 shirts for every additional 500 likes until supplies are gone. The selection will be made on April 12th.
And how will we make the crucial decision of who gets the shirts? We're still sorting that part out. We're considering a kind of ritualistic monkey dance that will involve the four of us uprooting house plants then hurling our feces at the computer monitor. Whichever names get covered up on our facebook page, we'll contact those people and mail the shirts to their homes. Shamlessly yours, Doug, Jeff, Sam & Nando"
Fen's latest music video 'A Long Line Final' from their fifth and latest album 'Of Losing Interest' released last summer via indie label Ripple Music to follow up their fourth release 'Trails Out Of Gloom'.
Video - A Long Line http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GuHjY9Y0J0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4zO07MF3I
http://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/of-losing-interest
Audio Stream - Trails Out Of Gloom
http://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/trails-out-of-gloom
Track Listing: Of Losing Interest 1. Riddled 03:55
2. Of Losing Interest 04:59
3. Nice For Three Days 04:04
4. A Long Line 04:43
5. The Glove 03:23
6. Drunken Relief 04:26
7. Light Up The End 03:34
8. Pilot Plant 06:03
9. Snake Path 03:17 About: In January of 1998, in the mountain shadows of Nelson, British Columbia, a creatorship emerged called Fen. The road has been long for this dark-leaning band, which after more than a decade of obscurity, was finally ushered into the prog and metal fan’s psyche. This occurred in 2010, when Fen signed to California label Ripple music and released their fourth album Trails Out Of Gloom. The album garnered impressive reviews from bloggers and print magazines worldwide, including mention in the UK’s Classic Rock magazine and a perfect 16/16 score from the US authority on prog: Progressions Magazine. To follow up this attention, in May of 2011, the management of UK/Israeli prog veterans Blackfield invited Fen to open for them on the Vancouver stop of their North American tour.
To date, Fen’s music has sold in more than fifteen countries, and with the help of dedicated bloggers, two AAA-radio campaigns, and a music video for the single “Miracle,” the band’s following continues to expand. In surprising contrast to the dark nature of Fen’s music, their songs have been placed on HGTV (Home and Garden Television) and Animal Planet’s, From Underdog to Wonderdog, among others. The song “Through the Night” will soon be available on the video game RockBand.
Fen has performed at clubs and festivals throughout BC, and in the summer of 2011, took part in the Forest Symphony at UBC’s Pacific Spirit Park. Fen’s fifth album, Of Losing Interest, will be available in August 2012, and is a return to the heavier aspects of the band's sound. It is their second release under the Ripple Music label, and it brings together a band line up first assembled in 1999.
FEN – Of Losing Interest (Ripple Music) 2012 Release Date: August 14, 2012 Label: Ripple Music R.I.Y.L. - Tool, Coheed & Cambria, A Perfect Circle, Megadeth, 3, Incubus, Porcupine Tree
Label Links: Ripple-Music.com | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube Band Links: FENMusic.ca | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Reverbnation | iTunes | CD Baby
“These Canadians are a talented bunch, with their influences ranging from Tool, Porcupine Tree and a smidgeon of 70s-era prog. The result is a nifty mingle that’s highly inventive and replete with enough catchy hooks clamouring for more. FEN are technically gifted without ever overplaying. On the heavier tracks here, such as ‘Nice For Three Days’ and ‘Of Losing Interest’, they demonstrate a flair for being imaginative while retaining a purpose, something so new, wannabe prog metal bands seem to lack.” – Classic Rock Magazine
“10/10” - Steve Coughlin, Power of Metal
“Fen combine more traditional prog passages with heavy riffs creating a unique sound. The band certainly know the way around their respective instruments and have the talent to pull off the complex passages.” – Get Ready To Rock!
“Now they are back with a stunning new album titled ‘Of losing interest’, which musically goes into a very high quality Progressive Rock/Metal direction. It is especially thanks to the superb vocalwork of singer DOUG HARRISON that FEN’s music is lifted way above other bands in this extensive genre called Prog. 8.6/10 ” – Strutter ‘zine
“FEN – “Of Losing Interest” (’12) – Once again, Ripple music strikes! This is the latest from progressive metal Canadians FEN & it’s a scorcher.. With a decidedly heavier flavor than their last offering, this one bursts forth with nods to Rush, Altered Moves Two (anybody remember them?!) & more, with lead guitar that holds its own with the likes of shermann & denner. This is friggin’ GOOOOD, maaan!” – Ray’s Realm
“This fifth album from these Vancouver progressionalists – and their second for the impressive Californian label, Ripple Music – is certainly an interesting offering, and definitely one which bears more than one listen, given its complexity and depth.” – Planet Mosh
“Fen’s “Of Losing Interest” is groove laden and hooky and heavy. It’s a great combination of musical elements. Doug Harrison, Sam Levin, Jeff Caron, and Nando Polesel have once again created an album that will have the reviewers and bloggers salivating. “Of Losing Interest” is a definite buy.” –This is not a Scene.com
“Certainly, Of Losing Interest is different than its predecessor, but not entirely unexpected from Fen. Bring heavier rock, even metal, the album still offers the listener their darker side. Recommended. 4 / 5” – Dangerdog
“If the likes of Tool, Incubus, Porcupine Tree, Soundgarden do it for you than Fen and Of Losing Interest is a must. The album offers so much more though that all will find plenty of pleasure within its walls, it is melodic rock at its best.” - Ringmaster
“There are pictures everywhere entwined together and lead us to Tool and Porcupine Trees paths that are really spectacular. The new album of Fen is a very good example of progressive, melodic rock music that you must hear to understand the magic of the sound that comes out through the nine compositions «Of Losing Interest». Hear it!”– Hard and Heavy Webzine
“Taking on different styles like this can be an ambitious undertaking, but pulling it off can be tough because you have to have the playing skills and really be comfortable with the styles. Fen do all that and more plus make it look easy and sound spectacular.” – Heavy Metal Time Machine
“I found ‘Of Losing Interest’ to have a great sense of balance of the different genres of music that inspired its production. The lyrics are strong and meaningful, and this is definitely a cd that sticks in one’s head.” - Rock Over America Magazine