Doomed Confessionary: Fionn Murray (Fós)

Fós is a doom/drone/folk/post-metal act from Dublin, Ireland. They are about to release debut album »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« on January 27th, 2025, to be available on vinyl through Fiadh Productions.
The debut album from Fós, »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« is an artistic endeavour that brings together the ancient and the modern. Featuring a collection of eight meticulously crafted tracks, the album weaves the poignant storytelling and melancholic beauty of Irish folk music with the deep, resonant riffs and sombre atmospheres of doom metal and ambient music. Building on Fós’s previous releases with a greater emphasis on riffs and song structure, more densely layered arrangements, and heavier, more impactful production, the end result is something evocative, affecting and wholly original.
Fós consists of Susan ní Cholmáin on vocals and Fionn Murray on all instruments.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Fós is a doom metal band from Dublin, Ireland. The idea for the band was to combine doom and drone metal with traditional Irish folk singing, which is called sean-nós (literally “old style”). I released the first EP »Rinne mé iarraidh« in 2020, and our debut album »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« is coming out on January 27th, with a vinyl release courtesy of Fiadh Productions.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
When I started working on »Rinne mé iarraidh«, I had all these ideas I wanted to convey and sounds I could hear in my head, but at the time I didn’t know exactly how to accomplish those sounds with the equipment at my disposal. I’m still very proud of it, but in retrospect it didn’t have quite the weightiness and heft I was hoping to achieve. I think »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« comes a lot closer to what I’d originally envisioned – certainly it’s much heavier than »Rinne mé iarraidh«.
What can you be most proud of so far?
»Níl mo chroí in aon rud« is a huge step up from »Rinne mé iarraidh«. I’m particularly proud of the last song »An Mhaighdean Mhara« – I genuinely think it’s one of the best pieces of music I’ve ever made. »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« is the first thing I’ve released on vinyl, and it was so cool holding the album in my hands. There’s this photo of me when the album arrived, and I’m holding one of the copies like it’s my firstborn.
What was your biggest regret?
I regret leaving such a long gap between releases. I released »Rinne mé iarraidh« in March 2020, and it’s taken me nearly five years to release a followup (aside from one song I contributed to a Fiadh compilation last year). Obviously 2020-21 were weird years for everyone, but I still think I could have finished »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« a lot sooner if I’d been a bit more disciplined – life just kept getting in the way. I hope the gap after »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« won’t be quite as long.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Fós is a studio band first and foremost and I’ve never performed these songs live, but I’m certainly open to the idea if the right opportunity came along.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
My first release »Rinne mé iarraidh« was kind of an experiment, I just put it out with no real expectation of getting much of a reaction. I was really pleasantly surprised by the response it got, some of the reviews were really glowing – it genuinely wasn’t something I anticipated.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I’ve been on a bit of a 90s death metal kick lately – Crytopsy, At The Gates. I recently came across this band from the states called Bloodcrusher. Slam isn’t normally my cup of tea but these guys really grabbed my attention, maybe just because the production is so over the top and overwhelming.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
In music, as in life, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
What are your guilty pleasures?
If I was completely lacking in self-control, I’d probably have a kebab every day. My favourite kebab place recently closed down – I was devastated, but it likely did wonders for my waistline.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Dublin?
The new EP from Bodydrinkers is pretty cool, it was recorded by Shaun in Last Light Recordings, who mixed »Níl mo chroí in aon rud«. A lot of modern death metal turns me off because it’s too clean and clinical, so I really liked that this one sounded gritty and raw without being completely unintelligible. In general I find that a disproportionate amount of the really creative and interesting music coming out of Ireland is from metal bands.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
As I said, Fós is a studio band first and foremost and I have no current plans to play live – but never say never, I might look into taking the band live if the right opportunity came along.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
I have so many ideas for things I’d like to do in future. One thing I really want to explore is vocal harmonies, probably with more minimal arrangements. I also think it’d be cool to bring in more traditional elements like the fiddle and bodhrán, but without going fully folk metal.
How can people best support your band?
Buy my stuff from Bandcamp, or failing that check us out on Spotify.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
If you enjoy listening to »Níl mo chroí in aon rud« even half as much as I enjoyed making it, I’ll be over the moon.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well