Fresh from the immediate and miserable impact of the latest Manowar effort I found myself in dire need of something, anything, to bolster my belief that traditional heavy metal is not going to forever torture me with disappointment. I held my amulet tightly in my weary fist and pleaded with the gods. Give me something, anything, to prove there are classic metal bands out there willing to plough their own furrow, experiment, and attempt to tap into something unique… The gods answered with a gift, a comet in the darkness: and its name is Winters Veil. This self-released platter includes two vocalists and two former members of a previously little known band (at least to me) Crimson Altar that seems to have been inactive for several years.
At first glance the cover suggests yet another member of the shrieking power metal horde rather than something more thoughtful. But Winters Veil draw more on the free-for-all of the early 80s music scene. There’s also a hint of goth and even synth pop in here too but well weaved and one that should largely prove more than palatable to those who would normally avoid such things. This is not some kind of cross-over band. This is a metal release and make no mistake. Admittedly, these are lone adventurers stalking the wilderness armed only with their wits and cold steel compared to the barbaric chest beating might of others. But there are more ideas washing about in half the tracks here than some bands these days seem to muster across years of pumping out the same old uninspired dross.
From the intro track The Storm Awakens to the truly excellent closer Shroud of the Winter King it felt like Winters Veil are struggling to contain themselves with pent up ideas pouring out of the speakers. It all harks back to a time when it was possible to experiment without being regarded as indulgent and struck from record company ‘wanted’ lists. When bands themselves were the progenitors of genres rather than hurrying to sign up to one. And the result is a sometimes raw but always ruggedly professional selection of tracks. The tracks mostly hang well together with a strong signature throughout and these are two fine vocalists. My only slight concern is that the female vocals feel slightly overused (don’t be surprised that she’s attractive) at the expense of male vocalist Tamás Csemez (who I’ll begrudgingly admit is too for the sake of balance). There may be a temptation among some folk to dismiss this as yet another female fronted band. To do so would be a mistake, however. Csemez’s rocky vocals sound great on tracks like Vikingr and indeed the whole thing works at its very best when the two work together – especially on Eye of Eternal Sunrise and Shroud… My only other concern is the second to last track Cyberelectric Woman which interrupts the flow of the general lyrical themes ahead of the epic finale. But maybe it’s a grower… Either way, I’ll be intrigued to see where Winters Veil plan to take things next since they clearly set themselves a high bar and The Storm Awakens opens up paths aplenty into the northern wastes.
(8/10 The Reverend Darkstanley)
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