Necromantic Arts

This is album is just... wow. It really leaves you speechless the first time around. And the second, the third and so on. There are more ideas in this album than many artists have in entire careers. I can't lie, I've always been a sucker for the horror and occult in metal, but this is a whole other level. What's more, is that they mix a more operatic female singer to contrast the lead singer's growls, giving the songs a fuller, more grandiose feeling, perhaps never more prominent than in "Fifty Names", which is probably my favorite song from this entire album. The way they mix horror, occultism with the rough and tough metal hellscape we all know and love is simply phenomenal, and it makes me really look forward to their next release. The bar has definitely been set much higher than most bands' initial releases, with the only bands I can really think of that achieved that would be Death, Dissection and maybe Satyricon. I only wish I could find the lyrics somewhere to appreciate even more of this masterpiece of an album. Expectations like these are not the best to have, but I feel like this band has more than earned it with this release, and I think they will deliver equal if not better with their next album or EP.

The mixing is also quite good. It's a more refined version of what black metal is typically known for, and you can tell apart most of the instruments quite consistently, and it's still brutal and raw when the moment demands it. The bass is there, thankfully, because sometimes it's not always audible in these sorts of mixes, which is a shame. Personally, I would have appreciated it to be a just a bit thicker sounding, but the pounding drums definitely more than compensate in my mind for that.

My only gripe with this album is that the intros tend to be a tad dragged out, with the one that's not always worth listening to every time would be "Martyria". Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore the song, but the intro could have perhaps been trimmed a minute and not really lose much (the sound effects, like the dripping water, not the actual music part).

To close out, Frozen Winds are not just masters of their craft. They are goddamn forces of nature. Definitely my favorite black metal release of the year, if not the decade. And certainly my favorite modern black metal act, by far.

Favorite tracks: All of them. They are all worth listening to, 100%. Everything here is just... Beautifully brutal, if that makes sense.

Black metal from Cyprus is something you won’t see too often so based on the origin alone Frozen Winds are an interesting band. They have been formed back in 2007, but it took until 2018 to release their full length debut. Of course they put out a demo and an EP before, but “Necromantic Arts” is where the real journey has started. One fact which is obvious from the beginning is that we are talking about a bunch of talented and experienced guys (and one lady) as you would not believe that this is a debut effort in any way in case you have not been told. What we got here is 70 (!) minutes of very traditional, yet highly captivating and expertly drafted black metal, harking back to the golden days of the nineties.

It could be argued that many bands of the black metal scene are also just repeating the same stuff over again, but there’s still enough to squeeze out great music of it if the style’s put into the right hands. We’re given plenty of the flavors of what makes the style interesting to begin with, as Frozen Winds show a clear understanding of how to bring it all together wonderfully, such that it fits together nicely, such that they all work off each other brilliantly. They manage to deliver a very frosty and classic vibe and mood, thanks to the atmospheric guitar riffs. However, while the music can be relentless and hostile there are enough ambient and more laid-back parts to enrich the overall picture of the album.

The songwriting shows the experience of the musicians involved, with the music always packed with a fiery ferocity and real power the likes of which only quality black metal can deliver so well. It’s the execution factor that shows us really what a band is made of, no matter how experienced they are, and Frozen Winds have delivered all the goods that make up a great black metal recording. The drumming switches between high speed battering and a steady groove, with the patterns well planned and executed. Ritualistic guitar chords work as counter harmony to the blast-beats and tremolo runs, making up for a stunning mix of different moods.

These lads surely know how to get the blood pumping and the mind drifting away. Etching sorrowful melodies out of the haze, Frozen Winds create surprisingly melodic and beautiful melodies across the vast sonic landscapes of the album. The howls of the vocals wail mournfully beneath the moving passages, and some female choirs are used to create a more unorthodox and obscure feeling. From the first track on the band shows that while staying true to formula defined by the founders and idols of the genre, they are not afraid to construct more complex arrangements. Build-ups and diversity are elements which are very important for Frozen Winds, and what makes this album really stand out is the way all those different sections have been embedded within the broader context.

The production is spot on and in my books flawless. Perfectly crisp and punchy, with the guitars getting the much needed room to work their magic. Purists might argue that black metal should sound rawer, but I love it. This not any kind of raw or lo-fi black metal, but also not depressive or post stuff. Instead you are getting wonderful melodies, embedded in a very traditional basis, akin to the classic stuff of the second wave. “Necromantic Arts” is a real gem and fans of the genre need to give it a listen.