Owsla

Biography

Fall of Efrafa was a concept band formed in Brighton, United Kingdom, in 2005. It started life as a cello-driven crust band, yet after various line-up changes, they focused on creating their own sound, mixing elements of post-metal, sludge, crust and post-rock, taking influence from bands such as Neurosis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Agalloch and Buried Inside. The concept was based loosely around their own interpretation of the mythology in the novel Watership Down by Richard Adams. The band...

Fall of Efrafa was a concept band formed in Brighton, United Kingdom, in 2005. It started life as a cello-driven crust band, yet after various line-up changes, they focused on creating their own sound, mixing elements of post-metal, sludge, crust and post-rock, taking influence from bands such as Neurosis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Agalloch and Buried Inside.

The concept was based loosely around their own interpretation of the mythology in the novel Watership Down by Richard Adams. The band created a trilogy of records known collectively as "The Warren of Snares": Owsla (guardian), Elil (enemy), and Inlé (death). The narrative behind the lyrics followed a society on the brink of social collapse, under a theocratic rule. An uprising occurs in the face of a greater enemy. Characters from the book, and the make-believe language known as 'lapine', were included in both the artwork and lyrics.

The band received a lot of praise for their music, both for the concept surrounding the band - a mix of mythological language and imagery amidst anti-religious, animal rights ideologies - and the music itself, although fans are often divided, when pigeon-holing their sound.

The band was staunchly DIY, but managed to sidestep specific labels by incorporating a mixture of disparate post-rock and doom passages and crust punk influences. Although they completed various tours and shows, they rarely played live, instead spending most of their time writing and recording. They played their final show in Brighton, on December 5th, 2009.

Members have gone on to form other projects - Neil formed Blackstorm, a heavy rock and roll metal band; George formed an instrumental post-rock project with his brother called Movement of Leaves; Mikey joined the Austrian hardcore punk band BØREDØM; and Alex started Light Bearer, a conceptual post-metal band, Anopheli, a emocrust band, Carnist, a DIY hardcore punk band, and Archivist, a Post-Metal/Sludge band.

Neil Kingsbury - guitar
Steven McCusker - guitar
Mikey Douglas - bass
George Miles - drums
Alex CF - vocals and lyrics
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