2018's EP saw the Windswept project take their Drudkh-ian blueprint and reiterate it at slower tempos to emphasize the atmospherics of slower chords, whereas 2019's "The Onlooker" LP sees the band doing the exact opposite; it's all fast, all the time. Still the same Drudkh-y rhythms, same two-riffs-per-song-stretched-out-to-5-minutes-or-more-each-time, etc. Playing fast the whole time does make this particular record remind one more of, say Forteresse than Drudkh, and that's not a bad thing, as both projects are able to barrel along at full speed without much steam. While Windswept are a tad less effective at keeping their music interesting at those constant tempos than Forteresse, though, "The Onlooker" is still a nifty record. The fast progressions and melodies pull you in with a triumphant sort of atmosphere that slower music typically just can't do, though in the same way it's less earthy and hypnotic. As someone who likes fast black metal much more than the slower stuff, though, this is definitely an improvement over their last release.
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