Winterfylleth – The Divination of Antiquity (2014)

As a solid contender for Black Metal album of 2014, today we have Winterfylleth and their ravaging latest release: “The Divination of Antiquity”. Showing that Black Metal does not need to be static to deliver raw brutality, the band has been slowly morphing over time while maintaining their devastating BM roots. In this release the band’s sound is as crisp as ever delivering eight brilliant onslaughts of sheer devastation that any fan of the genre will surrender to.

Opening with dissonant title track, we can hear fierce drumming and a melodic undertone in the band’s blistering first few minutes. This level of intensity only lets go when the band is delivery melancholic passages that further enhance the destructive powers of their music. The band’s superb ability to construct playful riffs that shift the mood of the song in an instant, are clearly outlined in songs like “Whisper of the Elements”. We particularly love the disarming melancholic passage in this song that bleeds into more merciless brutality.

With three different members of the band providing vocals, the band’s versatility knows no limits as we can enjoy contrasting passages like on “A Careworn Heart”. While the band has been refining this style since their previous releases, bands like Deafheaven (and others) have been making a name for themselves with similar approaches. We enjoy the band’s bigger emphasis on brutality and melodic rawness, and they clearly make it evident in demoralizing tracks like “Foundations of Ash”.

After a nice acoustic/neo-folk interlude with “The World Ahead”, we are prepared for the onslaught that “Over Borderlands” brings. With a deceiving ‘mellow’ atmospheric vibe, this song is relentless in its riffing onslaughts courtesy of M. Wood and C. Naughton. This track is by far our favorite one of this release thanks to its very powerful last minute or so.

Closing on a high-note with the melancholic “Forsaken in Stone”, we are completely blown away on how compact and well evolved does Winterfylleth sound in this release. We are very pleased with the evolution of the band and how this release perfectly blends melody and savage brutality into a very cohesive and diverse package. If you like Black Metal bands that are pushing the boundaries of the genre but still remain true to their aggressive roots, look no further and pick up this amazing release.

Label: Candlelight Records

Release: October 7th, 2014

Genre: Black Metal

Country: UK