Winter Haze – Silent Deception (2011)

Today we have Italy’s Winter Haze delivering an exciting Symphonic Metal EP release titled “Silent Deception”. Featuring four tracks, this EP showcases a very mature and interesting band that can write and execute superbly melodic songs. The band’s biggest asset besides their musical skills is the sweet and unique voice of Giorgia Marra and its powerful range, making them immediately a force to be reckoned in this very crowded genre.

Opening with a jazzy sax intro to the track “Cross the Sea”, this release sets the mood very effectively. The guitar work is pretty standard and very catchy, allowing Giorgia’s vocals to shine very nicely. Mixing clean male vocals and grunts with the classically trained female vocals is far from revolutionary, but when done right (like here) it is very effective and powerful. This track also has some nice vocal layering that gives it a very professional and dramatic edge.

Things start picking up with the aggressive opening riffs of “Vacuum”, accompanied by harsh vocals and intense double-kick drumming. The keyboard effects are pretty cool and allow the song to not sound as monotonous as many other in the genre. “Silent Deception” delivers a very atmospheric approach that is nicely contrasted by the angelic vocals and quirky guitar work. This track is the one that showcases more of the classically trained side of Giorgia’s vocals, but it is also very aggressive thanks to the growls, making it very dynamic and engaging. The clean male vocals add an extra layer of theatrics to this song, making it our favorite track of this release.

Closing with the enigmatic “The Watchmaker”, we particularly like the emphasis on the lush keyboards that accompany this track. This song is very powerful and epic sounding, with a pounding bass guitar line and solid guitar riffing. The tempo changes in this track are very well crafting and the drumming is quite elaborate.

If you are in the market for another excellent female-fronted Metal band, be sure to check out “Silent Deception”, you won’t regret it. Winter Haze is a quality band that surely deserves more attention from the scene, and we hope they get it in the near future.

Release: 2011

Country: Italy