Review Summary: Lost in the blizzard....
Greeting us early this year with a suitably chilly EP is Eterknight; a folk metal quartet hailing from Cancùn, Mexico. Despite the band's toasty origin,
Winter’s Calling invokes times of biting cold, frosty greenery and breath that hangs in the air. The album opens with the ghostly whisper of wind blowing over a haunting string section, and Eterknight immediately trap you in their frost-bitten world. Coupled with pounding drum beats and indistinct vocal muttering the intro accurately sets the tone for what is to follow, however, despite having all the ingredients for an epic journey,
Winter’s Coming simply lacks the passion and energy to pull it off.
In comparison to their 2014 debut
Ragnarök, it could be argued that this latest offering is an improvement in a few key areas, but these hardly make up for the lack of character, to which the band owe their previous success. For one thing, the production is noticeably better - unfortunately ‘better’ is a relative term. The blackened vocal rasps and gritty riffs the band employ more comfortably matched the ‘dirtier’ sound of the debut. Here they sound quite hollow and lifeless amidst the polished mix, particularly evident in the first verse of ‘Immortal Dragons’ where the terribly bland vocals performance commands the soundscape to the songs overall disadvantage. ‘Warheart’ storms in after the intro, flanked with all the usual folk metal grandiosity one would expect, but already something is slightly off. At its disposal are soaring synths and trebly guitar riffs which drive the track forward, while a satisfyingly punchy drum beat keeps pace. There's even an intriguing bass guitar passage towards the end of the song. But time and time again the effort to develop a larger-than-life atmosphere falls short. The synths and strings feel tired throughout, which is at odds with the bands ‘energetic’ pace and exciting tales of dragons or fighting. Credit where it's due, these musicians have undeniably improved their synchronisation as a whole, and feel much more at ease playing together. However this has come at the cost of a more straightforward songwriting approach, with tracks such as closer ‘Winters Heeding’ comparing unfavourably with better performed Ensiferum or Equilibrium pieces. It truly feels like a “one step forward, two steps back” evolution.
Despite its shortcomings, there are still a lot of redeeming qualities to the EP, from the galloping guitar rythms of ‘Immortal Dragons’ to the harmonised vocals on ‘Warheart’, it's still classic folk metal fun. Although it may falls short of the heights it aims for,
Winter’s Coming shows promise for these Cancùn Vikings, and with luck any future material by this band will see a reignited vigour, more Winter-y goodness, and the possibility for some longer tracks.
