Weltenende

Although hailing from the western coast of Canada, this black metal outfit writes exclusively in German, a language they have all studied. This could be written off as a gimmick, but the band seems pretty genuine about it and should probably be given a pass. One area where they shouldn't be given a pass is the actual music. It's not overtly bad, it's just really fucking uneventful. This debut album seemingly had one main goal - atmosphere. There really is no way around it, they have fallen flat on their faces in achieving the one thing they set out to do. Aside from the non-metal passages, the atmosphere is lifeless and apathetic.

This release is very samey throughout, never really treading off of the formula they've laid out. The bulk of the music is characterized by icy rolling tremolo and dry shrieks, padded out by acoustic guitar and Kim's sultry cleans (more on that later). The shrieks aren't anything egregious, although they aren't exactly something that I really feel the need to ever come back to. They are put needlessly high in the mix which does become a bit annoying as the album drags on. The black metal here just seems so . . . empty. It's like they were so keen on creating a potent atmosphere they totally forgot about everything else; there are no real traces of an attempt at decent songwriting or riffwork. Undercurrents of melody are included, although they come up short. The tremolo just keeps on rolling, while not really having a reason to. It is also worth mentioning that this album contains some of the most unmemorable drum work to ever appear on a competent black metal release.

They have achieved giving off a generally "icy" vibe. They have completely failed bringing that atmosphere to life. There is one exception to this - although the black metal bites the big one, the non-metal sections are actually really good. Featuring a wonderful vocal performance, they are like a rose that sprouted from a bloated corpse. While I can't say I'm enamoured with Kim's rasps, her subtle seductive clean vocals are very much worth hearing. Also featuring smooth acoustic chords, these sections have a bit of a neo-folk vibe. They really are the only thing worth listening to on this otherwise chronically drab release.

Although they do get the non-metal material right, you would hope that they'd do okay with the metal, considering that they're a metal band and all. Nope, not at all. While competent, this is dry, lifeless and ultimately boring. Occasional acoustic guitar and sultry vocals can't save an otherwise withered beast. While trying so hard to usher in an evocative atmosphere -something they haven't come close to doing - they've forgotten to give the music a solid backbone. A Winter Lost is like the dude who gets invited to a barbeque and is so preoccupied with picking out fine spices and superior seasonings that he forgets the steak at home.