Winterfylleth - The Threnody of Triumph

Review by Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.


This is the third full-length from England's Winterfylleth. Recorded with Welsh producer Chris Fielding (who is best known for his work with Primordial and Electric Wizard), The Threnody of Triumph is their most cerebral effort to date. British black metal often has a reputation for being more staid and restrained that either the sour, smouldering disgust that pervades the Scandinavian tradition or the bleak, wild experimentation that has come to characterize the French. Winterfylleth use this structure and hoary dignity to their utmost advantage. The song structures are massive and architectural, almost Victorian in their complexity.

Photo by Jo T.

While Winterfylleth have the market on dour firmly cornered, The Threnody of Triumph also neatly avoids any charges of pomposity or stuffiness via a combination of earnest, gut-twisting emotional authenticity and moments of sparkling, unabashed loveliness, like instrumental interlude "Aeftereild Freon" or the tremulous outro on the title track. At once intellectual and moving, The Threnody of Triumph is a gothic castle of a record that's worth exploring.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Winterfylleth - The Ghost of Heritage

Winterfylleth's debut album The Ghost of Heritage from 2008 has been remastered and expanded, and is now available on the Candlelight Records Bandcamp (it was originally released by Profound Lore). This is atmospheric pagan inspired black metal. Islander from No Clean Singing describes the two new tracks:

"They’re mid-paced, almost to the point of being stately and dignified. The band use cascading waves of distorted tremolo chords and acoustic guitar interludes to weave slow, lush, somber melodies. The roiling sounds of double bass and blast beats and the smash and crash of cymbals add to the contrast between the viciousness of the instrumentation and the beauty of the melodies they create."

and this is a description that fits quite well with the rest of the album. The remaster by Colin Marston (Krallice, Dysrhythmia, and Gorguts) sounds great, the epic songs has room to breathe, the quieter passages stand clear, and the guitars are raw and crunching. Here are reviews of the original version of The Ghost of Heritage from Teeth of the Divine and From the Dust Returned.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]