Winterlore
Four Swords Against the Pious
Slaughterhouse Records
Street: 02.09
Winterlore = Bathory + Ulver + Burzum
In the current climate of black metal, where those who sound more like tribute bands than original artists are rampant, sounding fresh is a task few new bands rarely achieve. Winterlore have made an album that provides a bountiful pillaging of excitement. The combination of atmospheric and riff-driven styles of black metal bustles nicely. Winterlore tell a story reminiscent of early, great black metal albums, like a tale of ancient warriors fighting the Christian cause. The seven tracks here save face and ride hard in the memory banks. Tempos start in the mid-range and end at a faster but not “balls out” pace, at times they are somber, equal parts vicious and triumphant. Winterlore are precise at what they do, and sound great doing it. Listeners will discover that this is a creation of demiurgic talent, not a tribute, and embrace this with profound sovereignty.