Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Winterfylleth The Ghost of Heritage Company: Profound Lore Records Release: 2008 Genre: Black Reviewer: Raising Iron

A caustic canon of modern black metal

Guitarists Chris Naughton and Richard Brass, along with drummer Simon Lucas, all sludge/doom act Atavist alum, have teamed up for another project, this time dipping their horns into the opposite end of the metal pool to form the black metal band, Winterfylleth. Issued under the always excellent Profound Lore label, these English lads are quickly making a name for themselves in the underground with the release of their debut effort entitled The Ghost of Heritage.

So what sets this outfit apart from the countless other underground black metal acts out there? Well, first off, there is an overt sense of melancholy injected into the music itself - resulting in more of a bitterness and indifference to the outside world – than the usual vitriolic hate found in traditional black metal phrasings. Also, the songs are punctuated with plenty of slow movements, sometimes acoustic, but always deliberate and resolved, giving the listener moments to ruminate before another wave of guitars crashes in. Finally, every song here is dedicated to England’s rich history instead of the usual anti-religious fare found in this particular musical movement. The only thing the band could use is some keys to flesh out some areas, but alas, this is a drum-guitars-bass only affair. The mix is very tight, with only the vocals being slightly buried.

Nine songs comprise this semi-claustrophobic proceeding (hell, it wouldn’t be black metal if it wasn’t at least somewhat close, huh?) clocking in at just under fifty minutes; ending about just the right time, as though there is enough variety and dynamics to keep the listener attentive, things start to get just a bit stagnant toward the end of the disc.

In total, Winterfylleth have delivered a caustic canon of modern black metal, culminating in a sense of pride for their motherland. Fans of the genre are sure to be pleasantly surprised.