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WINTERFYLLETH “The Imperious Horizon”
WINTERFYLLETH “The Imperious Horizon”
By Dr. Abner Mality
If you need a big dose of “epic” with your black metal, look no further than WINTERFYLLETH. The proud Englishmen return with their 8th album “The Imperious Horizon” and they’ve doubled down on their traditional style of cyclonic black metal merged with sorrowful melody and a touch of the majestic. In fact, you could accuse them of delivering too much of the same thing and I wouldn’t disagree too strongly. But they’ve made this brand of epic melodic darkness their own and it’s hard to mistake them for any other band.
After a moody intro “First Light”, the hammer strikes the anvil on “Like Brimming Fire” and this sets the tempo for most of the album...faster than greased lightning but with sad, ancient melodies embedded deeply within the raging storm. The vocals are harsh and the drumming inhuman, yet there is something about the WINTERFYLLETH style that sounds noble instead of evil and warlike. That style continues with the next three tracks, each of which exceed the 7 minute mark. Keys and orchestral synths add atmosphere and color. To be honest, the tracks are all just variations on the same theme and might just wear you out if you’re not ready for it.
The first significant deviation comes with the 10 minute plus “In Silent Grace”, where the speed is finally dialed down to a mid-paced level. It’s heavy enough and not really a ballad, yet it kind of has the mood of a ballad. The band have included a second, even longer version of the song with the noticeably more emotional vocals of PRIMORDIAL’s Alan Nemtheanga. I actually like the original version better, but your mileage may vary. Then we have the short, barbaric outburst of “To The Edge of Tyranny” which seems to be a statement that not all WINTERFYLLETH tracks need to be north of seven minutes. That’s followed with the soothing acoustic tones of “Earthen Sorrows”...a welcome break in the action...before sprinting to the finish with “The Insurrection” and “Majesty of the Night Sky”. This latter track can be considered a defining number for the band and lives up to the promise of its title.
“The Imperious Horizon” is another strong effort from these sons of Albion but I can see the logic of those who claim they stick to the same pattern too much.
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