Winterhorde
Neptunian
Noble Demon
December 8th, 2023
Winterhorde (1999-2001 [as Autumn Palace], 2001-present) caught my interest with the quality of the music, a certain elocution that stands out, but that does not mean that I fully understood what I was hearing, given the sophistication of the Israeli band’s fourth album. Actually, it was a just a feeling; a sense that there was more to be heard with additional listens. Thus, repeated listens did, in fact, confirm intuition. As it turns, there is quite a range of musical expression to be experienced, including the blaring sounds of the [sampled?] trumpet on the first song! That's a nice way of introducing the listener to the amorphous blend of black, progressive and neosymphonic extreme metal comprising the personality of the album.
The work, a contemporary recording showcasing a refined form of extreme metal, provides various layers for discerning audiences. In general, fans of progressive, intelligent, skilled extreme/black metal should find that the music meets rather high standards in terms of songwriting. An abundance of exquisite melodies also help the listener to navigate the complexities of the progressive strain in the songwriting, which does require an attentive approach on the part of the audience; however, the wise use of melodies assists tremendously in the enjoyment, in particular on the first several listens, given that without such melodies, the music might veer too much into the überprog field, which would make things more difficult for listeners that are not musicians nor devoted fans of prog in general.
The listener should expect segments in which the black metal heritage is mani-fest. Personally, I do enjoy that, as I would not want that element to be discarded. Expect extreme vocals, but also lots of melodic singing, and tons of riffs and some virtuoso guitar playing. The progressive components are indispensable for the music, but fortunately the prog is engaged in an interplay, an interaction with the melodies and black metal. To end, the album is not experimental, it is not weird. It is heavy metal music, of the black, melodic and progressive variety, with an emphasis on delivering a memorable, balanced, quality recording that is worthwhile not just now but for years to come.
Neptunian
by WINTERHORDE
https://www.facebook.com/winterhorde/wall/
