Written: 8th September 2024
Approaching their twentieth year as a band, Winterfylleth can now be considered veterans of the atmospheric black metal genre. Having produced an album every two years since 2008, this is the longest gap between releases for the Manchester based quintet. Speaking about The Imperious Horizon, guitarist / vocalist Chris Naughton states, “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.”
Beginning with mysterious synths creating a feeling of isolation, there is certainly a foreboding aura lurking within short opening instrumental First Light; solemn and melancholic strings further illustrate a stark and unforgiving place. Like Brimming Fire changes the atmosphere immediately and we are thrown into a world of tremolo riffs and intense, growling vocals. Crammed with furious anger, the track ensnares with biting power but as ever with Winterfylleth, there is an obsidian elegance to the delivery. Beautiful solos rise above the blast beats towards the end of the song as the band balance intensity with melody.
Several songs on The Imperious Horizon qualify as epics and the seven-minute Dishonour Enthroned is one such example. Guitarist Russell Dobson makes his first contributions as a writing member of the band and his partnership with Chris Naughton, honed during live shows over the last few years, pays great dividends across the album. At times, they combine to create a ferocious wall of sound and at others, one builds powerfully on the foundations of the rhythm section, while the other glides and soars in sweeping, majestic solos. The contributions of Mark Deeks on the keyboards and string arrangements should not be underestimated and during the conclusion of Dishonour Enthroned, the synths add gorgeously rich touches and timbres, widening the feel of the track. At almost eight minutes, Upon This Shore develops in a similar way: strong and impassioned from the outset and experimenting with tempos and textures as the track progresses. Winterfylleth’s music demands your attention and each listen reveals new layers of instrumentation.
Title track The Imperious Horizon crackles with fiery venom during its opening three and a half minutes – the guitars incendiary and Nick Wallwork’s bass ruthless - but after this point, the track becomes much wider in scope. Winterfylleth slow things down without losing any of the dynamic force they have conjured to this point. A truly glorious solo takes flight backed by a bank of lush synths and some thoughtful percussive moments from Simon Lucas. The track strips back further as the drums subside and gently picked but poignant guitar returns us to the ominous moments of the opening introduction. Yet, there is the feel something hopeful within the lamenting tone as Deeks adds single notes of keyboard that keep us moving onward. As the rest of the band return for the final minutes, Winterfylleth weave the most expansive and epic moments of the album so far; it is a sublime and intoxicating climax to the track.
Just as we might think Winterfylleth has delivered the best track on the album, the eleven minute In Silent Grace begins. Slower paced and verging on doom metal in places, In Silent Grace takes the listener on an odyssey of emotions. Beginning within a more barren environment than all the previous songs, it allows each section of the track to develop naturally. It is three minutes before the first vocals are heard after the masterfully crafted introduction. It grows into an imposing and resplendent, yet desolate and puissant saga, featuring Nemtheanga of Primordial who delivers each word with a harrowed, tormented yet august vocal. It may not have the outright brutality of many of the tracks here – clean vocals are used to great effect - but for sheer scale, the innovative and patient use of space and melodic instrumentation adds to the colossal, monolithic sound. Staggering.
To The Edge of Tyranny and the menacing closing track The Insurrection return us to the old school black metal sound that inhabits much of the album, a reminder of the influences from which Winterfylleth developed their sound. Splitting these two songs, another short instrumental, Earthen Sorrows – a delightful folk tinged, bucolic piece based around acoustic guitars and strings – gives us the chance to reflect on all that has come before.
On The Imperious Horizon, Winterfylleth leave us in no doubt that they understand how to make this type of metal relevant today, Chris Fielding’s stylish but not over-glossy production aiding the band to balance their innate potency and the old school feel with the need for clarity across each instrument. The quintet have spent time honing this album and it shows. From elongated, vigorous passages to moments of almost regal radiance and segments of monumental scope, there is enough variety within the album (and often with tracks) to maintain the listener’s interest. The Imperious Horizon sits happily along anything in Winterfylleth’s discography and in time, may come to be regarded as their best. Dark, twisted, and exquisitely enthralling.
The Imperious Horizon is released on 13th September 2024.
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