Old Wainds is approaching its thirtieth anniversary.
Now consisting of Morok (guitar/bass) and Sadist (vocals), the Russian band calls on Gorud (guitar) and E. Forhekset (drums) to create Stormheart, their fifth album, released by Darkness Shall Rise Productions.
The first thing that shocks you when Watch The Midnight Unveil begins is its obvious coldness, creating an atmosphere heavy enough to welcome the impressive riffs and visceral screams. A few keyboards occasionally embellish the impenetrable riffs, before giving way to Northern Starfall, a rather similar composition that immediately envelops us in its veil of fury, offering captivating Old School tones that are sometimes brutal enough to complement the more ethereal notes. Of Night and Ice keeps the fascinating harmonics that fly freely between the most virulent moments, creating a contrast with the raucous vocal parts, but the sound ceases abruptly to let In the Heart of the Storm take control. The track seems more aggressive than the others, integrating sharp leads with a dark, continuous rhythm that leads into The Eternal, the Dead, the Arcane, where we discover that the musicians can also offer quite groovy passages between two more unhealthy moments. Beauty and violence come together again on To the Moonlight, one giving way to the other before they join forces to create a veritable inferno, even offering a rather martial moment before Snow Swarm adds its DSBM influences to the already melancholic yet brutal mix that carries our minds away to its tortured landscapes.
Old Wainds’ coldness remains intact, even ten years on. Stormheart is one of the rawest albums I’ve listened to this year, and even if there are a few moments of airy sweetness, it remains massive.
90/100