Winterfylleth – The Imperious Horizon: Album Review

By Dominic Walsh on 12th September 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Winterfylleth return with their latest epic full of soaring, sky scraping songs. The Imperious Horizon is the bands 8th record and sees them in imperious form.

Release Date: 13th September 2024

Label: Candlelight Records

Format: CD / Vinyl / Ltd Vinyl / Digital

THE IMPERIOUS HORIZON

Anyone that has followed Winterfylleth over the years will know the standard set. The bar is always high. Production is of the highest class and the songs are always tight and well honed.

The Imperious Horizon is the black metal groups’ eight full length album. Steadily, each passing album builds on its predecessor and this latest effort is no exception.

LIKE BRIMMING FIRE

Now with Necronautical’s Russell on guitar (replacing Wolcensman mastermind Dan Capp), Winterfylleth blast out of the blocks with Like Brimming Fire after a dark synth led introduction. It hits hard after the foreboding opener; First Light.

Music is often wanting to take you on a journey. Winterfylleth has always strived for such emotion. Such is their desire to create this feeling, many of the songs on The Imperious Horizon really aim for the mountain top. Like Brimming Fire does exactly that. It brims; it tugs at the heartstrings. The closing solo is suitably epic and it is only the end of the opener.

DISHONOUR ENTHRONED

Dishonour Enthroned was released as a lead track for the album. It is a pummelling piece of classic Winterfylleth. Chris Naughton snarls emphatically and Simon Lucas propels the song on the drums. Add in the expertise of bassist Nick Wallwork and you have a recipe for a track that will long be around in the bands live repertoire. If that wasn’t enough, Mark Deeks (he of Arð) subtly layers synths atop the mix as the song closes majestically. Only a couple of tracks in, and it is clear that Winterfylleth have already stepped up.

Continuing the journey, Upon This Shore sees Winterfylleth doing what they do best. Again, it follows the epic formula that the band execute expertly. When the drums change tempo halfway through, it gives a genuine feeling of freedom. A feeling of scaling the peak but still having a journey ahead. One thing to note here is that it would be very easy to mess this up; there is a lot going on. Chris Fielding and the band have everything just right in the mix as everything comes together through the duration of the track. It does not fall into the mud as it would be so easy to do.

THE STANDOUT TRACKS?

In seeking the connection with higher powers, the title track of the album connects in a different way through a beautiful synth led section with guitars and piano giving off flecks of light. Do not be fooled by the light though. ‘Mountains shiver,’ exclaims Naughton. To be honest, they would be shaking from the ferocity of the riffs. Naturally, it builds to a huge ending, initiated by what could only be described as a Whitney Houston-esque bass drop! Is this the first black metal power ballad? Maybe. Another glorious solo certainly makes its case even stronger. As the title track, the song is incredible, and it really encapsulates the mood and atmosphere Winterfylleth strive to create.

To see Winterfylleth have ‘guest’ appearances on their albums is rare. In fact, very rare. In Silent Grace features a vocal turn from Primordial’s AA Nemtheanga. A doomier tempo and a different vocal sound make this one of the albums true standouts. In truth, you could say that about every track on The Imperious Horizon. In opening, In Silent Grace has an Iron Maiden style intro (see Lightening Strikes Twice) with a lone guitar melody setting the scene. Nemtheanga has a brilliant voice, and it offers a different vocal dynamic. The ten minute plus opus is emphatic – the bed of synths are perfectly measured. Naturally, there are evocative instrumental passages that punctuate the song superbly.

TO THE EDGE OF TYRANNY

For the grandiose statements of the title track and In Silent Grace, Winterfylleth still know how to hit the evil button. To The Edge Of Tyranny is remorseless. It is a heads down stomper that features some vicious guitar work and splendid drum work. Some of Naughton’s vocals are truly spine tingling; especially the harsh screams. Whilst Tyranny isn’t epic in the sense of its duration or dynamic shifts, it is epic in the sense of the journey of this album. It is epic in the way that it pushes and pulls you, and in the way it pummels you. This is black metal. It is the perfect song at the perfect moment in the album. The format of an album is sometimes a lost art in a digital streaming world, but Winterfylleth nail the aspect here.

To further the brilliant pacing, there is the customary acoustic interlude in the form of Earthen Sorrows. Enjoy the respite because The Insurrection follows, to close out the album in bombastic fashion. Like thick fog, the guitars are dense and the tempo is unabating. As the closing bars ring out, there is a true sense of satisfaction.

For those who obtain the limited edition formats of the album you will also get a couple of bonus tracks; a cover of Emperor’s The Majesty Of The Night Sky, as well as an alternate version of In Silent Grace with AA Nemtheanga taking the entire vocal.

IMPERIOUS?

Winterfylleth once again show that they are the standard bearers. As a band closing in on their 20th year of being, they show why they are head and shoulders above the competition. Each passing release outweighs its predecessor as the band continue to grow and expand their magnificent canon of work.

The Imperious Horizon is truly impressive. Impressive, impassioned, immaculate, imperial; all superlatives fit. This is one of the best that Winterfylleth have treated us to. It is arguably going to be lauded as one of the best extreme metal albums, ever, in years to come.

Winterfylleth will tour the UK later this year. Tickets are on sale now and can be bought by clicking here. They have a couple of album release shows in London at Raven Records on 13th September, and one at Black City Records in Bristol on 21st September.