Form & Fate

 Form and Fate paint musical portraits that can be simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. Soaring melodies, dense harmonies, and sonic assaults are the trademark of this San Francisco quartet. The name Form and Fate was derived from the process through which a lake is born. As the definition would imply, the music is something of a tribute to the turbulent ways in which new landscapes are formed, sometimes through dramatic and violent upheaval, sometimes through the simple, slow passing of time. Whatever the approach, this post-apocalyptic wall of sound will leave you wanting more. Bring earplugs! Visit Form and Fate's MySpace site. Visit Form and Fate at Three Ring Records.  Join Form and Fate on BandLoop!

Reviews

 

"Okay, I want to take a moment to talk about this CD’s illustrations. I know, there’s music to be had—and pretty music, too; located in a small valley between math-rock and soundscaped jam-band acrobatics, Form and Fate’s trio arrangement, which is sometimes paired on this recording with cello and trombone, is basic but artful, wading through the twisty, graceful jams of “Emoticons Vs. Decepticons” and the country feedback of “The Ballad Of Austin Post” with a dreamlike single-minded-ness and splendor.

The illustrations are something to be reckoned with, as well. There are glossy black-and-white photographs of glaciers from the U.S. Geological Survey that range in year of origin from the 1940s until just a few years ago. But, if not for the dates, you wouldn’t be able to tell. The clouds in these pictures are as sharp as mountaintops; the fields of snow and the snake-like arc of rivers are the kind of beautiful that knocks you out. It’s way beyond simple album art. The gatefold underneath the CD tray of a river and its subsidiaries look like a massive prehistoric skeleton: its spines reaching out to take over the world. And, if that makes sense, that’s what the music sounds like too."
by Matthue Roth of Zero Mag on July 1st, 2007

 

"Just like the black and white photo from their album cover, local band Form and Fate's lovely post-rock meanderings spread out like epic landscapes in front of your ears on their debut 'The Form and Fate of Lakes' until you reach the jagged cliffs ahead that crash back down on you with a wall of fuzzed-out distortion. Epic and yet isolating, Form and Fate's melodies and interesting instrumentation keep their music fresh in the always competitive land of post-rock. While obvious comparisons to Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai are not unjust, the band also brings to mind what may have been my first taste of the noodly instrumental genre: Sonic Youth. Form and Fate will be at the Bottom of the Hill on April 11th to celebrate the release of their new cd with We Be The Echo and Aim Low Kid. Click on the headphones above to listen to 'Emoticons vs Decepticons'. 'The Form and Fate of Lakes' is available on April 10 on Three Ring Records." The Deli Magazine SF on March 19th, 2007

"Don't be fooled. Form and Fate of Lakes is not a lesson in plate tectonics and isn't nearly as boring. Initially, the listener is wrapped in a soft blanket of gorgeous cello and mellow, muddy guitar lulling you into an imposing and unwanted rest. And when you least expect it, a grungy smash snaps you back to the land of the living and out of the rut of predictable instrumental arrangement. This album starts out like many other, artsy instrumental albums out there yet adds the right amount of almost startling variation. Pattern-wise, most of the songs are a slow burn, building momentum. Despite the met level of mandatory complexity, Form and Fate could use a little more color - even if it's black which could only be expected of a song titled "Norwegian Black Metal Sword Fight to the Death." Come on, guys. That was just cruel. Overall, intriguing and stimulating. 4 out of 5 Owls!" Briana Hernandez of The Owl Mag on March 5th, 2007