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August 29, 2008 |
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01. Beyond The Dark Sun
02. Winter Madness
03. Sleeping Stars
04. Battle Against Time
05. Death And The Healing
06. Starchild
07. Beautiful Death
08. Sadness And Hate
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Wow! 2004 is certainly shaping up to be a banner year for great Metal! More specifically, great Metal from snowy Scandinavia, a region that has emerged as one of - if not the most - prolific breeding grounds for Metal talent within the past ten years. The debut, self-titled release from Finland's WINTERSUN is of course, no exception. This is a project I've been anticipating for quite some time now ever since first becoming aware of it via my research into fellow Finnish act ENSIFERUM. For those not in the know, WINTERSUN marks the debut of ex-ENSIFERUM vocalist/guitarist/all-around-musical-prodigy Jari Mäenpää as a solo artist. Here the redoubtable Finn tackles damn near everything on this frankly, quite remarkable effort from lyrics/composition, to guitars/bass, to vocals, to keyboards, to production duties...you name it, with only Kai Hahto of Finnish Grindcore act ROTTEN SOUND stepping in to handle drumming duties.
(NOTE: While not credited on the album, one Jukka Koskinen is currently listed on the band's website as Session Bassist.)
Well, after multiple listens, I can only shake my head in amazement at the sheer level of technical ability and dedication Mäenpää has at his command. WINTERSUN is just an extraordinary musical effort - moreso given that so much of it is the result of this one man's vision. From the awesome Necrolord cover painting (seemingly set in the same wintry netherworld we were first introduced to on DISSECTION's 'Storm Of The Light's Bane'!), to the steely selection of epic anthemic Metal frozen within, WINTERSUN is without doubt an undeniable artistic and musical success.
I was always impressed by what Mäenpää had to offer on both ENSIFERUM releases, which are among my personal favourite discs perhaps of all time. WINTERSUN can comfortably sit alongside them, being that it breathes a similar air of Speed/Folk/Black/Death Metals all seamlessly melded together into an alloy of shining musical steel. Mäenpää's seemingly natural gift for composing genuinely moving, heroically melodic anthems and haunting, epic dirges is unmatched outside of the works of bands such as MOONSORROW, THYRFING, and early AMORPHIS to name but a few. Combine that with virtuoso guitar-playing abilities on par with those of such icons as Kai Hansen, Timo Tolkki, and Alexi Laiho to name but a few, and an expansive, and uniquely expressive vocal range, and it becomes obvious that out of the current crop of Metal talent on offer, Jari Mäenpää is destined to become a force to reckon with in the years to come.
Upon first listen it becomes clear that while WINTERSUN is etched from a similar base template as the ENSIFERUM albums, it is by no means whatsoever a blatant rip-off or copycat. Far from it in fact. Where the ENSIFERUM releases were almost wholly immersed in the Folk Metal genre, WINTERSUN seeks to reach beyond those confines, and with the exception of particular tracks/passages, can actually more appropriately be thought of as a Technical/Melodic Death Metal album with heavy Power Metal overtones. Most tracks here move at a pace light years beyond anything from either 'Ensiferum' or 'Iron', and could more accurately be compared to the works of artists such as STRATOVARIUS or even CHILDREN OF BODOM.
Mäenpää effortlessly fuses razor-sharp neo-classical, Speed Metal guitar riffs that move with icy clarity amongst Hahto's relentless battery, interspersed with flourishes of keys, choirs, atmospheric passages, and alternating dual 'blackened'/clean vocals, all working to create a majestic, and engaging piece of work indeed. Opening tracks 'Beyond The Dark Sun' and 'Winter Madness' swirl out of the speakers with all the fury of a midwinter snowstorm, Mäenpää spitting forth a blizzard of vocal aggression.
'Sleeping Stars' briefly slows things down to colour the listener's psychic canvas with colder, more darkly melancholy tones while incorporating stirring vocal choirs to decent effect. 'Battle Against Time' takes the pace back up to an aggressive level again, before the triumphant 'Death And The Healing' - my favourite track - which builds itself about a crystalline tower of heroic riffage and stirring-to-northern-blood vocals that reach a truly tear-forming-in-the-corner-of-the-eye, fist-pumping, raise-your-mead-horn-to-the-heavens pinnacle come chorus-time!
This track best showcases Mäenpää's distinctive and emotive clean vocal and stands out as the most stirringly anthemic track the album has on offer. Next up are 'Starchild' and 'Beautiful Death' and finally, epic closer 'Sadness And Hate' which at around a dozen minutes long, stands as the most ambitious and emotive track on an album which is in itself among the more impressive you will likely hear this year.
This is really just one hell of an album. A fine example of what real Heavy Metal distilled to it's purest form should be all about. Aggressive. Emotive. Virtuoso. Inspiring. Intelligent. Majestic. Magnificent. All adjectives and superlatives here apply. So do yourself a favour and pick up WINTERSUN, and prepare to be blinded by a cold, shining light of steely Metal swirling across the northern snowfields in your mind.
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