Winterfylleth - The Reckoning Dawn (2020)

Returning in full form after their previous acoustic release, today we have Winterfylleth and the ferocious “The Reckoning Dawn”. Unleashing over 50 minutes of their signature Melodic/Epic Black Metal, the band continues to wow listeners with their perfectly balanced ravaging sound. With tons of bands trying to sound like this UK outfit, it is quite clear that Winterfylleth is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

Opening with the lush “Misdeeds of Faith”, we get the band’s signature vocal melodies and punishing guitar onslaught. The band’s expansive sound is perfectly layered to deliver a striking balance between brutality and melody, as we can hear on “A Hostile Fate”, one of the most intense and powerful tracks of this release. For those wanting more of the acoustic guitars of their previous release, “Absolved in Fire” nicely warms up to this tone before exploding into crushing riffs and a very intense tempo.

We are huge suckers for melodic music and the combination of lush melodies and whirlwind intensity of the album title track makes it one of our favorite songs from the band. The album’s narrative takes a turn into darker territories with the hypnotic “A Greatness Undone” and its majestic atmospheric components, and the dreamy of “Yielding the MArch Law” and it's over-the-top vocal arrangements. Just imagine the perfect offspring of bands like Saor and Sun Worship with some hints of Emperor thrown in the mix.

Closing strong with the ravaging drumming of “In Darkness Begotten”, we are left completely blown away by the finesse and craft that went into “The Reckoning Dawn”. Winterfylleth continues to improve with time and this is one of their best releases to date, so be sure to not miss out on some powerful Melodic Black Metal filled with interesting atmospherics and vocal arrangements.

Label: Candlelight

Release: May 8th, 2020

Genre: Melodic Black Metal

Country: UK