Winds
Prominence And Demise

Before each of you out there approaches this album, know that although you will be enchanted by it in the end, understanding and loving it will be a long and arduous process.

The Winds are a metal music band, heavily influenced by progressive, when it comes to the complex structures of the songs, yet equally rich in veins from classical and neoclassical music, especially considering the presence in the band of pianist Andy Winter, already with Ages Of Silence, clearly inclined to reproduce some typical patterns of the music from which he comes, namely classical. Alongside him, we find prominent musicians in the avant-garde metal scene, namely Hellhammer—who hopefully needs no introduction—Carl August Tidemann, ex-Arcturus and Tritonus, capable of producing truly phenomenal classical guitar solos, and finally, on vocals and bass, Lars E. Si (Eikind), also already with Ages Of Silence, but also in Khol and Before The Down.

This "Prominence And Demise," dated 2007, represents nothing but a continuation and evolution compared to the band's previous works, repeating the classic styles and music. But what makes the difference this time is the more prominent metal part compared to the past: indeed, it is in this latest work that the group reconnects with the black metal past of some of the involved musicians, especially concerning the rhythmic section (it is not uncommon for parts of double bass drum to be fired at high speed), but also, and above all, in some instances concerning the atmospheres, which are heavy and dark, almost reflective, like mirrors, of the composers' moods. Amidst all this, Mr. Winter's piano occasionally appears to provide some clarity (this only when it’s not busy weighing down the album's mood even more), as if it were a ray of sunshine after a stormy day.

The music offered, from a technical standpoint, is extremely elaborate, with continuous tempo changes, odd rhythms, elaborate riffs (without ever being showy or self-serving) and rapid, sharp solos; just like in the past, other atypical instruments in the metal field such as violas and violins appear, which help enrich a sound that is already well-endowed. The band appears absolutely in tune in constructing melodies capable of capturing the listener and transporting them on a black journey full of sadness and melancholy, in which one gets lost and comes out dazed. The highlights of the album, in my very personal opinion, can be found in tracks such as "The Grand Design", where particularly atypical, sometimes jarring melodies appear, over which Lars's warm voice is laid, crafting truly remarkable vocalizations, delicate yet icy, with an embarrassing coldness. Another noteworthy track is surely "When The Dream Of Paradise Died" and "The Darkest Path", where the combo's wildest soul comes out, proving capable of pulling out episodes of truly chilling violence and malice but deceptively presented under a calm melodic guise: a real duo capable of tormenting and disturbing the listener due to aggressive musical attacks, but also thanks to its, if I may say, black and damned sick music.

Adding more about this album would be at least reductive and unproductive, the only things to emphasize, besides the excellent technical performance of each single element, would be the aspect of sound quality, which is truly excellent, with a recording so perfect that it makes the album even more detached and cold. The choice to listen to it is now up to you: getting attached to it may prove difficult, but when that happens, the listening experience will become more and more engaging.