Kings Winter – The Other Side Of Fear (Album Review)

Kings Winter
The Other Side Of Fear
Out: 28. January 28^th, 2024
Playing time: 39:04

What began as a side project by Jule and Tobias Dahs seems to be increasingly maturing into a permanent band. Kings Winter, named after their hometown, have since released an EP and a studio album as well as an acoustic EP (“Sonic Silence – The Unplugged Sessions Vol. 1“). The debut album “Edge Of Existence” was released in 2021, and Christian Schmitz has now joined the band as an additional guitarist who also plays bass in the studio. This means that Tobias no longer has to play all the instruments alone. I was curious to see whether the band could maintain the high level of their previous releases.

The opening title track “The Other Side Of Fear” already shows where things are heading. Melodic Metal par excellence. And the voice of Jule Dahs towers above it all. For me, one of the best in Rock and Metal. Also “When Tyrants Fall” is extremely powerful. A thunderstorm of riffs accompanies the vocals. And a chorus that almost invites you to sing along. “The Lost Art Of Grey” pushes forward with guitar hooks and powerful drum rhythms. Here, too, the epic chorus invites you to sing and bawl along. “Shadow Of The Cross” offers a further increase in tempo, mainly due to the fast drum beats. As soon as the vocals start, the tempo is reduced for a short time. You can also hear some growls here. And an amazing guitar solo. “Destroyer Of Worlds” starts quietly with clean guitars. Later, Jules’ vocals are accompanied by these guitars and individual bass chords. After the quiet beginning, the concentrated power of the instruments kicks in. The tempo increases a little before the song leads into another anthemic chorus. All in all, a great mid-tempo cracker. In “Sonic Thunderstorm”, Kings Winter once again set a high tempo. Fast riffs and above all the double bass ensure this. Later, a melodic guitar dominates large parts of the song. Riffs characterise the melodic “Revolution’s Name”. And catchy melodic arcs. And that despite the high tempo. The final song “The Darkness Within” is a wonderful power ballad. Whereby the emphasis is on power. Powerful drums and rhythm guitar accompany the expressive vocals. And what a guitar solo.

Singer Jule Dahs is often compared to Metal Queen Doro Pesch. But this comparison is flawed. She is the much better singer of the two. Marta Gabriel (Crystal Viper) or Lita Ford might be better references here. But a singer naturally lives from the instrumental accompaniment. And her bandmates are convincing across the board. Everything together makes for an outstanding album. The ballad in particular is one of the best I’ve ever heard. With “The Other Side Of Fear”, Kings Winter are clearly playing in the top league of metal music.

Kings Winter – The Other Side Of Fear: https://youtu.be/ODf9gAXkLIc?feature=shared

Lineup:

Jule Dahs – Gesang
Tobias Dahs – Gitarre
Christian Schmitz – Gitarre, Bass, Growls

Live-Musiker:

Hendrik Franke – Bass

Track list:

• The Other Side Of Fear
• When Tyrants Fall
• The Lost Art Of Grey
• Shadow Of The Cross
• Destroyer Of Worlds
• Sonic Thunderstorm
• Revolution’s Name
• The Darkness Within