out July 15: Nuclear Winter

Check out the track "Hearts of Stone" from the July 15th, 2020 EP Stormscapes by Nuclear Winter (Zimbabwe). Below is also a YouTube track, a cover of the famous Toto song "Africa," from the upcoming EP, but if you like the music, go to Bandcamp to support Nuclear Winter. Included here is also 2019's album Night Shift from Bandcamp.

After only a few short months, Nuclear Winter descends upon us all again. The Zimbabwean one-man outfit is ready to blast the world with Stormscapes, his fourth release. After the collaboration on Night Shift, mastermind Gary Stautmeister decided to strike out on his own and mold these tracks alone, taking on a new twist of an already unique blend of melodic death metal, industrial, and alt-rock.

“Hearts of Stone” starts the record off in the vein of his previous output - Gary layers synths, reverb-heavy guitar, and multiple vocal styles (à la Hypocrisy and Scar Symmetry) over a pummeling rhythm in a way to make Wintersun proud. There’s even a neat solo later on to showcase his guitar chops. Tracks like “The Northern Winds” and “The Wide Water”, however, read more akin to a black metal tribute - both in the Dimmu Borgir-esque snarling growls / soaring clean vocals, and in the dissonant riffing. Finally, Stormscapes leaves a little surprise in closing track “New York, New York”, a cover of a classic done in his own singular style.

In summary, Gary Stautmeister proves with Stormscapes that not only can he create a rare twist on the tried-and-true melodic death metal formula, but he can push his own envelope in new directions - and make excellent new material in the process. If any of the bands mentioned above are of interest, then Nuclear Winter will no doubt hold you in its grip. Zimbabwe’s metal scene, and melodeath in general, has much to be proud of in this project.

StormScapes EP by Nuclear Winter

Night Shift by Nuclear Winter

Nuclear Winter Africa (Tribute Cover)