Winterfylleth are an English Atmospheric Black Metal band. They have in the past called their music English Heritage Black Metal and certainly use England’s rich history as inspiration for their music, as well as England’s beautiful countryside, particularly Cumbria, in Northern England.
The Imperious Horizon is their 8th album and the first one in four years, since they released the excellent The Reckoning Dawn. The album will be released on 13th September, 2024. If you’re wondering about their name, it’s taken from the Old English word ‘Winterfylleth’, which translates into modern English as ‘Winter Full Moon’ and is signified by the arrival of the first full moon of winter.
Guitarist/vocalist Chris Naughton commented on the new album, saying: “In some ways, the album is a reflection on the mania of the years since the last album, how the world has changed for the worse, and moreover how we all feel like we are living in a more divided and upheaved world ever since! The title speaks to a looming sense of some dominant power or agenda that is coming, just over the horizon. It’s on its way, and we don’t know quite how it will manifest, but we know that it is creeping ever forward, and it is inevitable.” 1
Writing and recording the album during most of 2023, Winterfylleth emerged in early 2024 with a run of high profile shows supporting legendary band, Emperor, in the UK and Ireland. This was followed quickly by appearances at key European festivals like Inferno & Ragnarök. More about Emperor later!
The album kicks off with First Light a gentle, but ominous instrumental reminiscent of England’s past with its haunting strings and atmosphere. Certainly this track could be that ‘looming sense of some dominant power or agenda that is coming’ and it’s a great way to start the album, lulling the listening in and preparing them for what follows.
Track two, Like Brimming Fire, and three, Dishonour Enthroned, did, on first hearing, sound similar, particularly the beginning of each track. However, the great riff and pummelling percussion in Like Brimming Fire are finally resolved into a new riff which has faint traces of Darkthrone. A slower section, driven by ferocious blast-beats and keyboards, takes the track into a glorious climax fed by a superb guitar solo. Great stuff. Likewise, Dishonour Enthroned starts with a great riff and frantic drums, but soon moves into a great second riff, and then the track lurches off into a slower section before breaking into another great guitar solo, then ending drenched in keyboards and backing vocals. This track doesn’t have the same grandeur as Like Brimming Fire and I think is probably a bit too long; interestingly, both songs clock in at 7.00 and 7.14 respectively.
Upon This Shore starts in a similar fashion to the previous two tracks, but suddenly bursts into a shower rhythmic section with marvelous guitar riffs and a pounding drum before the track repeats the same sequence again. The middle section gives us a complete tempo change and the song continues this sequence before returning to a more frenzied attack. As the song builds to the climax, the guitars in particular are stunning, however, we get a feeling of deja-vu with the eruption of keyboards and backing vocals. Once again clocking in at 7.45 this song seems linked to the previous two, and after repeated listens it’s Like Brimming Fire which stays with the listener. There’s a definite 90s feel to these tracks, but that’s certainly not an issue for me.
Track 5, The Imperious Horizon, is frankly excellent. The track fades into some fabulous riffing backed by some busy drums. Frequent tempo changes add dynamics to the track and lifts the barrage of frenetic black metal. The middle section overwhelms us with more and more guitar riffs before the song switches tempo again and introduces a prominent keyboard, which then backs a wonderful melodic guitar solo. As the guitar solo climaxes the drums disappear and we get a quiet, reflective passage of guitars and keyboards. Baring in mind what Chris Naughton said about the intentions behind making the album, this reflective piece to me symbolizes a kind of panoramic view of the horrors of the past few years, particularly Covid. The song bursts into a driving, melodic ending, led by great vocals and a haunting guitar solo. If this is a victory of sorts over what has happened to us in the last few years, it is one tainted by sorrow.
The stand out track of the album follows next. In Silent Grace (featuring Alan Averill, ‘Nemtheanga’), is a totally epic song with a wide canvas, that’s inspiring, and possesses great dynamics. It’s also a track that will stay with you for a long time. It starts with a pair of clean, picking guitars, a solo – thoughtful and soaring, pushes the song along, before the main riff (a disgusting one at that!), and drums kick in. It’s a slow tempo and you could be mistaken thinking that this is doom territory, but the atmosphere is black metal. The vocals are clean for the first time on the album, and they add to the epic feel of the song. A beautiful guitar melody backs the vocals and then we get another switch when a new riff takes over, almost overwhelming the steady, slow beat. Harsh vocals finally make an appearance here and the song builds and builds, the atmosphere as thick as a political speech. Clean guitars, melodic and driving, push the song and accompany the vocals, which now are both clean and harsh. We get a hiatus when the clean guitars only are heard over a dancing bassline, and then the guitars crash back in, slicing the head of anyone in a five mile radius – what a riff! Now the track is picking up toward the climax, and it just gets heavier and heavier, when, exhausted by its own power, the song grinds to another slow passage of clean guitars, a melodic solo over the top, and then fades into a keyboard fade. Someone pass me the JD.
To The Edge of Tyranny takes us back to ferocious black metal conjuring up the early days of the Second Wave. This is brutal and unforgiving but at the same time there is great melody and a range of dynamic approaches. It’s all frantic and fast, very fast, and the guitars seem to get faster and faster but that could just be my melted brain. I was definitely reminded of some of Emperor’s early stuff – the demos mostly, but that is not to say this is a copy.
After the viciousness of the last track, we get a gentle acoustic piece, again reflective of the world around us. Slow and haunting, the song perfectly reflects its title, Earthen Sorrows. Sorrowful, yes, that’s the word, this song is sorrowful and perfectly placed, a celtic sorrow. It adds another dimension to this excellent album.
There’s only one way this album is going to end, brutally. The Insurrection returns us to old school blast beats and riffing. It’s aggressive with plenty of guitar riffs and changes in tempo – the drums in particular carry those changes perfectly. Great melody throughout but I can’t emphasize enough how this took me back to the early 90s. Strange really, because with its modern production and approaches to songwriting, you wouldn’t expect that. Still, it’s a great way to finish the album.
There are two bonus tracks on the Deluxe Versions: an Emperor cover version, The Majesty of the Night Sky, (I told you we would be back to Emperor!) and a Alan Averill, ‘Nemtheanga’, solo version of In Silent Grace. Averill’s version is longer and I am not sure that it adds anything to the actual album track. However, I’m not complaining because it’s another chance to hear that great song again. The Emperor cover is a strange one; I am not really sure why they did it. It’s a good cover but doesn’t really add anything to the original; I can only surmise that having supported Emperor this year that they felt a tribute was in order. So be it, I have no problem with it because, and again, it’s another chance to hear one of the great tracks in black metal.
Would I buy this album? Hell yeah, in fact I’ve already preordered it! It’s a very good album and if I can say so, I think it’s their best to date. The Reckoning Dawn (2020) actually made it into the UK album charts (at 74) and I think this might just do better. Go and buy it, it’s easily a 9/10 album.
The album was produced by Chris Fielding once more, and mastered by Mark Mynett and is released on 13th September, 2024.
Preorder the album at the Wynterfylleth Bandcamp, here: https://winterfylleth.bandcamp.com/music
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