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Immortal Souls - Wintereich |
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Written by Paul Portell
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Monday, 27 August 2007 |
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Although metal has spawned several sub-genres over the past 20 years, it’s difficult for every band that emerges from these genres to always be original and unique. A sound such as Finnish Metal is only a rarity if the band coming from that mold has a signature sound to call their own. For Finland natives Immortal Souls, such a statement would be saying too much as they exhibit a style that has been done before. While their U.S. debut “Wintereich” does have its strongpoints, they sound almost like an exact replica of underground hardcore pioneers Zao.
To put things into a more positive perspective, Immortal Souls’ album in question does have a colorful track listing and presentation worth observing many times over. Each song is grouped into a series of chapters [4 chapters to be precise] that have the appearance of an epic story or fantasy. Songs like “Nightfrost,” “Frozen Inside,” and “Winter of My Discontent” all have their moments of dark and eerie musical arrangements and play out in the album insert like an array of short stories. Each group of songs correlates to their chapter’s title. Chapter I: The Awakening contains three songs that relate to falling asleep in a spiritual sense and yearning to return to the Light amidst being stranded in darkness for countless years.
Moving along rather swiftly through “Wintereich” is Chapter II: Reflections of Doom, which surprisingly transitions to a slightly mellower vibe lyrically with the song “Icon of Ice” proclaiming ‘Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads me unto life,’ while “Constant” holds true to the fact that all of mankind is unrighteous and remains in misery without the Creator to guide him. Probably the highest point of “Wintereich” is during Chapter III: The Shadow of the Valley of Death,” with the track “Idlestate” being the most original song on the album, complete with a message that echoes Psalm 23 and a brutal and almost melodic metal arrangement that begs for repeated listens.
Still, it is impossible to escape the fact that Immortal Souls often sound like they’re emulating Zao in selected songs. This could confuse the listener into wondering whether or not this is a band that has been around for several years before, or if they had coincidentally been birthed directly out of former members from previous metal-esque bands. In all fairness, Immortal Souls just might be the ideal metal band for anyone who isn’t too picky on looking for that one special band chock full of gothic undertones and dark aggression who can call themselves a one-of-a-kind act. “Wintereich” can be best summed up as ‘winter metal with a touch of influences derived from classic Solid State bands.’
| Production | 8 | | Lyrics | 7 | | Message | 7 | | Overall Quality
7 |
Release Date: August 21, 2007
Label: Facedown Records
Track Listing
CHAPTER I: The Awakening
1. Nighfrost
2. Feareaper
3. Frozen Inside
CHAPTER II: Reflections of Doom
4. Icon of Ice
5. Color of My Sky
6. Constant
CHAPTER III: The Shadow of the Valley of Death
7. Idlestate
8. Heart of Cold
CHAPTER IV: The Passage
9. Winter of My Discontent
10. Black Water
11. Wintereich
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