Winterage
Nekyia
Scarlet Records
Out: July 7th, 2023
Playing time: 50:17
The Symphonic Metal band Winterage has existed since 2008. In 2011, the self-titled debut EP was released. It wasn’t until 2015 that the first album, “The Harmonic Passage”, was published. Fans had to wait six years for the follow-up “The Inheritance of Beauty”. For album number three, the Italians needed only two years. It will be available on the record stores from 7 July this year. It was recorded in the Fear Studio and the Nadir Music Studio. No one less than Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, among others) was hired for the mastering.
It seems as if there is a competition for the longest annoying intro lately. Winterrage also throw one into the battle with “Apertio ad Profundum”. More than two and a half unnecessary minutes, big bombastic orchestration paired with choruses and opera-like vocals, some of which can already be called vocalises. I’ve been hearing far too much of that lately. And this seamlessly segues into the first regular song “Simurgh The Firebird”. Again, bombastic orchestration dominated by brass. Oh yes, the double bass is supposed to provide metallic heaviness. It all somehow reminds of the Rhapsody universe. Also, the vocals of Daniele Barbarossa. In “The Cult Of Hecate” the double bass bangs even harder and thus contrasts with the bombastic orchestrations. This is exactly how it continues later on, even if the tempo is taken out a bit in “Numen”. So, this song sounds a bit more pleasing to me. “Nekyia” starts with quiet strings and spoken word. Later, the midtempo epic dominates again. The quiet ballad “La Fonte d’Essenza” lets the listener breathe a little bit easier. Daniele Barbarossa sounds like a great Italian heroic tenor. But already with “Dark Enchantment”, Italians fall back into the old pattern of overloading the songs with orchestral bombast with quotations from the great Italian operas. This goes on until the end. And the three-minute outro “Resurrectio ad Mundum” closes the circle.
If there is anything at all positive about the album, it is the journey back in time to the early years of Symphonic and Cinematic Metal. And the rich, powerful sound. But this genre has long since left its best years behind. More than five minutes are occupied by the intro and outro. Even if the whole thing is not badly done musically, in my opinion it no longer fits into today’s times.
Winterage – The Cult Of Hecate: https://youtu.be/dlf8L9Rd8oI
Lineup:
Daniele Barbarossa – Vocals
Gianmarco Bambini – Guitar
Gabriele Boschi – Violin, Orchestral and Choral arrangements
Matteo Serlenga – Bass
Luca Ghiglione – Drums
Track list:
- Apertio ad Profundum
- Simurgh The Firebird
- The Cult Of Hecate
- Numen
- Nekyia
- La Fonte d’Essenza
- Dark Enchantment
- White Leviathan
- Metamorphosis, A Macabre Ritual
- Resurrectio ad Mundum
Rating:
Overall Rating : 6.5/10
