Review Summary: A fragile spark of longing hope.
The ever-reliable purveyors of British atmospheric black metal have already built a remarkable back catalog, with a series of phenomenal albums since their debut “The Ghost of Heritage” in 2008, and onward. The band took an all-necessary water stop in 2018 with “The Hallowing of Heirdom” (the “Kveldssanger” of its time) and then returned to their stirring, steeped in tradition black metal with “The Reckoning Dawn” in 2020, a tour de force including some of their most memorable tracks to date. It seems there has been a wellspring of inspiration for them over the years that’s still ongoing today, as the eighth full length album “The Imperious Horizon” is yet another installment of amazing, nature-soaked atmospherics in the way they do best.
At first glance and first listen, one shall feel a deja vu moment as Winterfylleth treads in familiar -yet frostbitten and glorious- grounds. A clean landscape cover art of a mountain peak along with a sharp but not overproduced sound, is exactly in the ballpark of what the band has been doing in the past, and as engaging as they've always been. The record has over an hour of duration, containing both eerily beautiful and more aggressive parts that constitute to a rich listening experience that will strongly resonate with the fans of the band, and may also draw new audiences in. A sombre instrumental introduction quickly gives way to the chillingly gorgeous opening track “Like Brimming Fire”, which walks a fine line between ferocious and ethereal riffing, topped with a wonderful solo at the end, enough to make you sit back comfortably with a smile once you realize the treat you’re in for the next 60 minutes or so.
Such evocative, mournful but epic melodies are the backbone of Winterfylleth’s work, which is steadfastly demonstrated in the following tracks of the album. There’s multiple amazing guitar lines in both “Dishonour Enthroned” and “Upon This Shore”, often at switching tempos and sometimes accompanied by layers of keyboard synths and clean backing vocals, adding to the depth of the compositions. The self-titled track cuts from the same cloth, highlighting a wondrous slow-paced, middle / ending section, while the band takes on a forceful stance with the considerably more straightforward “To the Edge of Tyranny”, and it is really enjoyable to listen to them play in a vigorous manner like that. This is then neatly followed by the short acoustic interlude “Earthen Sorrows” as a means to calm the storm and seamlessly leave space for “The Insurrection”, which aligns with the tracks in the record's first half.
Chris Naughton’s harrowing vocals maintain a certain homogeneity across the entirety of "The Imperious Horizon", which is only broken during “In Silent Grace”, a track that features the legendary Alan Nemtheanga from Primordial. Alan's unique vocal style is as emotive as ever in this ten-minute long piece and fits Winterfylleth’s music perfectly, resulting in a clear stand out and rather unique moment in the band’s whole discography. At the album's eleventh hour, they choose to perform a timeless, genre-defining black metal track, namely Emperor’s “The Majesty of the Night Sky”, which is sometimes a dangerous gamble for newer artists. I have to admit this may be the best cover of that track I have ever heard, and I felt the same when I listened to “The Dark Hereafter”, where they covered early Ulver. Cover song albums are often pointless, but in this case, it clearly wouldn’t be.
Nobody would say that Winterfylleth break the mold with their new album, but there is absolutely no need for this band to diverge from the path they have made for themselves. There’s diaphanous nuances that make them evidently superior to the average atmospheric black metal act out there, and solely keeping the windswept quality they usually have is more than enough for us. With its enthralling presence, “The Imperious Horizon” shines on a well-crafted atmosphere, riff-driven tracks, smooth progression and harmonious execution. While it may not be placed at the top of their discography, the band’s releases are consistently strong. It is definitely worth savoring, so drink it in.
