| CD REVIEW Winterhorde |
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Band: Winterhorde It took several years, but finally Israel’s Winterhorde return with a new studio recording. In 2004, the band released a mini-album, In Traditions Of Winter, and in 2006 a full length, Nebula. Nice efforts, both of them, yet not interesting enough to conquer the Underworld… This second full studio album, with duration of over sixty seven minutes, was mixed, mastered and co-produced at Woodshed Studio (Dark Fortress, Thulcandra, Obscura, Triptykon etc) by keyboardist Morgenrroth and Dark Fortress/ Noneuclid/ …-member Victor Santura. Underwatermoon is based on a story, written by bass-player Celestial, and even though it is much more intense and pounding than both former releases, this one is much more accessible too. Well, ‘accessible’ doesn’t mean ‘easy’. Many pieces are ‘just’ Extreme Metal, balancing on the edge of Black/ Death Metal, with both fast and slow parts, melody versus aggression etc. But the band injects elements that are rather uncommon, unusual. It’s not only the structural tempo- and melody changes, or the intros, or the acoustic parts. Winterhorde penetrate their very varying Metal with elements from Prog, Jazz and Post-Rock (as well as some additional extras, like Classical). The title track, for example, amongst several others, reminds me a lot to Solefald or Arcturus, yet also their country fellowmen of Orphaned Land might have been of influence. The more orchestral, gothified parts dwell within the same spheres as, for example, Dimmu Borgir or Cradle Of Filth (yet without just copying these bands!), and another co-Israeli band that comes to mind is Salem, especially within the heavier compositions. And I guess even Otyg / Vintersorg, Behemoth, Nile, Opeth and Einherjer did inspire the band. Personal addition: the album starts rather promising, yet towards the end the quality level s(t)inks… 78/100 Ivan Tibos. |
