Northwind Wolves - Mountains and Darkness (2019)
Current Members:
Lennis:Bass, Vocals (backing)
Brett: Drums, Vocals (backing)
Astaroth:Guitars, Vocals (backing)
Noor: Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Mountains and Darkness is the second full length release by Northwind Wolves and will be available from Black Lion Records
First Impressions:
Cold and bleak with just the right amount of chaos.
Going into this review I really didn't know much about this band, in fact it was lead vocalist Noor who came to me on facebook with the album. Now I will admit, I am a big fan of this chilly and pretty gothic form of black metal, much more than the "recorded on a tape deck, at the bottom of a trash can, down the street from where the band is actually playing" type of black metal. But this band kinda went under my radar, I wasn't sure if I would go into it and be amazed or disappointed. The symphonic style of black metal really can go both ways, at its best it can be haunting and aggressive, and at its worse it can be pretentious and bloated (cradle of filth and dimmu borgir have been both). Now that that is clarified, will this be the epic or the witless? Will this take its place along side of one of my favorites in the genre or will it reach amazing heights of mediocrity? Let's dig in track by track and find out...Let's Do This!!!
1. Before Dawns First Light. 5:05
Atmosphere a plenty in this one, kinda harkens back to early Cradle of Filth...but with a better vocal sound. The tightness of this one is unmistakable, it's crisp and powerful. The construction of this first track is masterful and moody, it really takes you on a journey into what this album is all about.
2. Lord of Winter and Death. 4:25
Another one that has its gothic influences on its sleeves, and that isn't a bad thing. This is a track that shows a viciousness in those influences that justify what black metal can truly be. This isn't that "Trve Kvlt" lo-fi noise that everyone equates with the genre. This track really sets a mood and runs with it...the musicianship is tight and relentless. Excellent.
3. Death of the Lost World. 4:11
Another innocent sounding yet short intro that slams into a trip into the bowels of hell itself. This is another relentless track that threatens to tear you up internally if you aren't paying attention. The layers in this one are so fluid that it makes it sound even grander than it is. The vocals sound like shagrath from dimmu borgir grabbed a bag of cough drops and learned how to growl correctly...it's simply awesome.
4. Unholy Forest of Wolves Part I. 4:06
Part 1 of a 2 part track, these are shaky songs at time due to the fact of consistency between the parts. This one starts strong, but I will have to say this is where the album starts to get a bit repetitious. There are replays of musical concepts in this one that are echoed from the previous tracks, not sure if that is intentional but with this music style that sometimes becomes a pitfall that is unavoidable at times. Aside from that it is still a competently performed track and still enjoyable.
5. Pale Winter Storm Lightning. 3:38
Short mood setter then a dive into a mid tempo chanting area, this song reeks of something that should have been on cradle of filth's midian album. It is tight and fluid like the rest of the tracks, a mark of consistency for the band which I do enjoy. The themes and mood set here is a bit different, it comes off as more of a sadistic taunt than a to the bone grind. Then all at once, it's done.
6. Ludmilla the Witch. 4:49
Well, this is a bit different. It kinda gears up its instrumentation before the keys come in. The phrasing of the vocals comes off as a chanted bit of dark poetry in a weird way. Someone has been listening to Tom Warrior's lyrical styles...it works here. In the context of this track the switching back and forth lends a bit of schizophrenic glee to the story this is trying to convey. Nice.
7. Mountains and Darkness. 2:51
The title track, usually the perceived best track on many albums...does this one fit that? Well, it is grandiose for such a short track, and lyrically it doesn't mess around with needless pretense. It blasts away with ferocity and sadistic glee in its aural assault...so does it fit that classic tradition? For what it does, yes it does.
8. A Knight Called Death. 3:28
A bit more drama infused than all the predecessors on this album, it's a nice change of pace. Not a speed freak of a track, not a skull crusher, but a nicely themed and paced set piece track. Heavy and powerful but not overbearing, a track you can actually hear everything going on and it really moves the listener. However its only flaw is that it's too short, a couple extra minutes to really push the narrative and increase the drama would push this one into epic status.
9. Unholy Forest of Wolves Part II. 2:57
Part 2 of the 2 part track, this is where the consistency issues show in most others who do this kind of thing. However this does sound like the conclusion to a great story, kinda conveys the triumphant feel an Amon Amarth track gives. So consistency isn't an issue here, obviously these guys thought this one out a bit. Good mood, good musicianship, good lyrics, good track...it didn't disappoint.
10. Curse of Ages. 2:54
Well this is one way to close out an album...chaos. This has to be the most frantic song on the album structurally. But even in its chaos there is a beauty to it...I can't put my finger on it. All I can do is chalk it up to good musicianship and above average song writing...and just as it gets to a crescendo...it ends...no cool down, it leaves the listener confined it the chaos it provided to deal with their own emotions....brilliant.
Conclusion:
Well, after getting my head together after all that and seeing my therapist I can safely say that this is a very competent and polished album with really tight musicianship and good mood setting. As a fan of the genre I really couldn't be happier honestly, it's not perfect but for a second outing for this band it's a really positive step forward from their first release(which I sampled on YouTube for this review as a comparison). I like the layers and the slight experimentation this band tried on this one, I only wish they would have ventured a little further and tried a few more things, and some of the tracks are a bit too short, which lessens their impact a bit. But all in all, this is a good album with a lot going for it. I would put this on my playlist with Dragonlord (one of my favorites in the genre) any day. I look forward to seeing where this band goes in the future and I recommend it for fans of this genre and even for those who are interested in the genre and haven't committed to it.
Score: 4.5/5
https://www.reverbnation.com/northwindwolves
