WINTER ETERNAL – echoes of primordial gnosis – CD

HELLS HEADBANGERS is proud to present WINTER ETERNAL’s highly anticipated fourth album, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

It was but the dawn of summer 2021 when WINTER ETERNAL released their breakthrough album, Land of Darkness. The band’s third album overall and first with HELLS HEADBANGERS, Land of Darkness truly launched the name WINTER ETERNAL onto the worldwide metal map with their absolutely authentic synthesis of 1997-vintage melodicism and mysticism. “Melodic black metal” before it became a dirty word, mainman Soulreaper proved that his heart pumped the blood of the ancients, recalling both ’90s Swedish and Hellenic scenes (the band originally formed in Greece, but later relocated to Scotland) but now with charisma and personality to spare. Above all, Land of Darkness bristled with stellar songwriting and impassioned playing – timeless black metal songcraft that can stacked alongside those old, hallowed tomes rather than simply drawing influence from them.

Now, two years later, WINTER ETERNAL return with their boldest record yet: Echoes of Primordial Gnosis. While immediately recognizable as the same WINTER ETERNAL that delivered the preceding modern classic, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis just-as-prominently displays a greater usage of dynamics, particularly those revolving around acoustic and clean-stringed instruments such as cello. Similarly, the still-impassioned playing has been giving an uptick in intensity and analog spirit through session drums by V. Nuctemeron (Sacral Rage, Chainsaw), lending warmth – nay, burning desire! – to the band’s ever-characteristic attack. Soulreaper, for his part, gives a masterclass in spiraling, twilit melodicism: hammering and mesmerizing at first, but his riffs become rippling layers of majesty and mayhem that seemingly echo back on each other, proving that there’s indeed complexity in simplicity of design. Add to this his anguished & emotive vocals, with guest clean vocals courtesy of Macabre Omen mainman Alexandros and Hildr Valkyrie, and the album’s overall concept fully comes into focus: calling forth the spirits of ancient gods and legendary heroes around the world, paying tribute to their timeless powers, with each song thematically focused on one such god or hero. Form meeting content, in every sense – and likewise for Mars Triumph’s symbolic cover artwork.

No longer the black metal underground’s best-kept-secret, WINTER ETERNAL step fully into the halls of greatness with Echoes of Primordial Wisdom.