WINTERSTORM
“Everfrost”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Winterstorm are a power metal band from Germany formed in 2008, and to date have released five albums – ‘A Coming Storm’ (2010), ‘Kings Will Fall’ (2012), ‘Cathyron’ (2014), ‘Cube Of Infinity’ (2016), and ‘Everfrost’ (2023).

Founded by vocalist Alexander Schirmer and guitarist Michael Liewald – the band is completed by bassist Peter Cerveny, drummer Jonas Hack and (new) guitarist Jochen Windisch. The bands sound is a blend of fast paced orchestral power metal and Nordic Viking and folk influences, ‘Everfrost’ presenting eleven new songs across a fifty minute run time. The album opens with the two minute instrumental ‘Origin’, overlapped with an eerie almost menacing spoken word passage, giving way to album opener proper, the fast paced ‘To The End Of All Known’. After a blistering first minute, Winterstorm adopt a progressive metal stance and slow the pace to a mid tempo stroll. Yet the band maintain their power metal roots, blending them with a little symphonic metal to give ‘To The End Of All Known’ a varied texture.

Moving into the realms of epic and glorious metal, ‘The Phoenix Died (Remember)’ is an elegant swagger, featuring a guest vocal performance from Elina Siirala (Angel Nation, Leaves’ Eyes). The combination of male and female vocals plants a different slant on the bands sound, a sound that’s a sonic barrage of power, symphonic, and traditional heavy metal – three of my four favourite styles of metal all in one place! I’m grinning from ear to ear here, Winterstorm delighting me so much – and after just three songs too! What am I gonna be like at the albums end? Let’s find out – ‘Circle Of Greed’ taking another metal path, a much heavier one, leaving the lighter style of power metal behind to thunder across the land like a tank rolling into battle! The ground shakes and shudders as the band stomps hard, giving metal traditionalists the world over something to sink their teeth in to. Kudos Winterstorm for the phenomenal array of metal styles – ‘Future Times’ hitting hard with the force of a thousand wrecking balls, galloping on like an old school metaller, adopting the classic “foot on the monitor” pose of traditional heavy metal.

The title song ‘Everfrost’ comes storming outta the blocks, banging heads harder than at any other time on the album so far – the band delivering a majestic blend of heavy and power metal. ‘Everfrost’ (the song) is one of those shoulders back, head held high songs that simply demands your attention – and give it you will! For as ‘Everfrost’ (the song) continues, it takes on an elegant persona with high levels of grandeur. Grandeur that just gets more grand with ‘Final Journey’, a staggering meander of every style of metal the band have in their arsenal – and not too! For ‘Final Journey’ features harsh vocals courtesy of former Equilibrium vocalist Robse – an incredible twist on the bands sound, and album overall. I for one certainly didn’t expect that! Just how many more twists, turns and surprises do the band have up their collective sleeves? Let’s find out (hmm, where have I said that before!) – ‘Fate Of The Atlanteans’ moving the album to the more hustle and bustle style of heavy metal. Winterstorm have a myriad of metal styles available to them, effortlessly switching from one to another to another one with the utmost of ease. Just incredible!

Toeing the melodic metal path, ‘Crusade’ is a solid slab of rock edged heavy metal, attracting fans from over the border in rock territory to the bands soundscape. These kind of genre hopping songs are amazing, fans of both rock and metal raising their fists high in the air to salute an absolute belter of a song. So the twists, turns and surprises do continue on, Winterstorm delivering an unexpected, yet delightful journey of multi-faceted metal! And bringing the old school flavour to the fore once more, the band march on with ‘Overcome The Fear’, a fast paced and energetic gallop of glorious eighties fare. I just can’t commend the band highly enough for their eclectic mix of metal styles, keeping me (and every listener) hooked as to which direction the album will turn in next. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable journey, a journey which comes to an end with the symphonic power metaller ‘Silence’, blending all bar one of every style of metal the band has performed throughout ‘Everfrost’ (the album). What a stunning end to what has been, a stunning album!

Overall, an incredible album of symphonic power metal, featuring unexpected musical twists, turns and surprises with every song that passed by.

TRACKLIST

Origin
To The End Of All Known
The Phoenix Died (Remember)
Circle Of Greed
Future Times
Everfrost
Final Journey
Fate Of The Atlanteans
Crusade
Overcome The Fear
Silence 

https://www.winterstormarea.com/
https://www.facebook.com/acomingstorm

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