Fórn, the Boston-originated extreme metal collective known for their intense mix of doom, sludge, drone, and post-metal, have returned with a renewed sense of purpose. After a six-year hiatus, the band unleashed Repercussions of the Self, a bold reinvention of their sound, as well as the full-time addition of vocalist and electronic artist Lane Shi Otayonii. They head back to Europe for the first time since 2019, with Otayonii joining them on all dates this autumn.
A Collaboration Years in the Making
The integration of Otayonii into Fórn feels both deliberate and destined. She initially collaborated with the band on their 2018 album, Rites of Despair. “Lane contributed vocals to the opening track on our last record,” recalls guitarist Joey Gonzalez, “and I remember from that experience knowing that I wanted to work creatively with this person in a bigger way.” That seed of collaboration grew during the pandemic, when Gonzalez, Otayonii, and drummer Andrew Nault started making music together, eventually leading to her official joining. For this reason, bassist Brian Barbaruolo saw this step as a natural extension of the band’s core values: “Collaboration has always been a significant theme of Fórn.”
Elevating the Sound to Cinematic Heights
The result of this expanded lineup is the stunning Repercussions of the Self. The album seamlessly merges the band’s signature downtuned, guitar-driven epics with a new industrial and electronic dimension. Furthermore, Otayonii’s contributions are integral, adding layers of texture and melody that elevate the band’s sound into more cinematic and emotionally complex territory. “Lane’s energy was a natural fit towards accomplishing the musical progression we intended to achieve,” Barbaruolo notes. Vocalist Chris Pinto concurs, adding simply: “Feels like it really was meant to be.”
Meanwhile, for Otayonii, the feeling was mutual. “The members of Fórn and I already knew each other from when we both lived in Boston,” she says. Their previous collaboration on Rites of Despair had further strengthened that bond. Consequently, when presented with the new material, her connection was immediate: “From my very first listen, I felt a connection and knew I wanted to be part of the new music.” She recorded her vocals in a tiny New York apartment—a process that “drew a lot of complaint emails,” she laughs—but the result speaks for itself. “Fórn’s music is so damn beautiful. Those riffs are insanely good. I can tell they really feel the music, and that’s why I like it.”
A Shared, Immersive Live Experience
True to form, the band’s live performances have always been legendary for their intensity, and their new material only enhances this reputation. For instance, their mesmerizing set at Cascadian Midsummer 2024 proved their increased power. Otayonii describes the live experience as a form of collective immersion: “When you play an instrument or create something, a bubble surrounds you, providing the time, space, and intentionality to immerse yourself in this realm truly.” As a result, she aims to make each show a shared journey: “You leave with a fresh, new experience, and that’s very important—to create a more communal experience where it’s not the artist versus the audience, but the artist and the audience sharing an experience.”
Taking a Transformed Sound to Europe
This October, Fórn returns to Europe with renewed energy, kicking off their tour at the highly anticipated Soulcrusher Festival in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The tour includes stops in Belgium, Germany, and Poland, showcasing a band that have not only endured but thrived through change. Denver-based trio Oryx will provide massively powerful sludge-doom as direct support.
As Barbaruolo reflects, “We’re definitely writing music now that is much more complex and calculated than it was 10 years ago.” For Otayonii, joining Fórn has been nothing short of transformative: “They did their best to make me feel very welcome and embraced. I’m one of them, you know, a real member of the band.” She adds, “It’s not an exaggeration to say they really saved parts of me.” From the start, she says, it was “pure magic—musically and in terms of people.”
With Repercussions of the Self resonating deeply with fans and a highly anticipated tour on the horizon, Fórn are set to keep building their legacy as one of the most compelling forces in extreme metal.
European Tour Dates 2025:
10 Oct – Nijmegen, NL @ Soulcrusher Festival
12 Oct – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
13 Oct – Liège, BE @ La Zone
14 Oct – Hamburg, DE @ Ms Stubnitz
15 Oct – Berlin, DE @ Neue Zukunft
16 Oct – Warsaw, PL @ VooDoo
17 Oct – Halle, DE @ Hühnermanhattan
18 Oct – Tubingen, DE @ Heimat to Hell Epplehaus
19 Oct – Innsbruck, AT @ p.m.k.
Band Pic by Matt Martin / @mattymarty
Live pics from Cascadian Midsummer 2024 by J. Donovan Malley
