Originally known as HEROIC CONDUCT, FESTER is no newbie to Metal. This Norwegian four piece have been in the game since 1989. Fans of FESTER are excited about their long awaited release titled "A Celebration of Death". This is their first full length CD since 1994. "A Celebration of Death" was released in March of 2012 and although it's the first I've heard from FESTER, I think it was a success and helped them to stand apart from any other band out there.

FESTER has an interesting blackened Death Metal sound. They have a very dirty style of Death Metal that is obviously influenced by Doom Metal. This unique combination features gloomy riffs with a doom-like ambience. Please be warned, however, that instead of focusing on speed and raw aggression as you may suspect, the sound is quite atmospheric. They also have an industrial feel that can be easily noticed in songs such as "I'll Hunt You Down" and "Jeg Spytter Pa Deg". The music is very peculiar, mainly because of the harsh, growly vocals that Thomas Andresen produces. The lyrics are Black Metal inspired, as they are mainly about winter, occultism and of course, anti-Christian views. The music is curious, to say the least.

Overall, I think "A Celebration of Death" is a great success and something that FESTER should be proud of. It's a great CD highlighting impressive musicianship, but about four or five songs in, it becomes very repetitive. This is due to the same slow Doom tempo that repeats itself throughout all ten tracks. Perhaps a slight tempo change could help. The songs also tend to drag on much longer than needed. For example, "March of Death" can have the listener tempted to switch songs only after three minutes in. Longtime fans will be thrilled with this after waiting so long for something new. As for new listeners such as myself, I think they should be impressed with what they hear, as Fester is unexpected and unlike any other band.