Tine never disappeared.
For his third album, A Winter Horrorscape, Count Murmur (all instruments/vocals) chose to remain independent, but also to call on Nikola Dusmanic (Poignard) on drums and Peter Ferguson on lead guitar.
The album opens with Samantha Bounkeua on Winter Comes, an introduction of strings and choirs that the two musicians render hypnotic and melancholic before letting A Feather from Lucifer’s Wing wash over us with all its rage. This track features the fury of raw Black Metal, but also more ethereal and symphonic touches that blend perfectly with the aggressiveness of the rather jerky base, but which come together perfectly on the choruses where clean vocals also appear, but the sound becomes more epic and heavy on A Path Through Frozen Woods. While the influences are similar, this track is much heavier and more directive, as if we were following the orders of a commander fighting against terror but leading us straight towards the enemy before slowing down on Ex Cathedra, initially revealing haunting tones. These are eventually corrupted by aggression, but the track remains long, allowing itself to flit from one atmosphere to another without denying the other, also offering persistent leads to lead us to its abrupt end, then to Return to the Black Forest in Winter, exploiting much more soothing sounds. The tone sometimes becomes darker, whether in the orchestration or the choirs, then the instrumental passes the baton to The Scathing Blizzard, which begins very calmly before finally exploding and offering its martial tones. Although very catchy, the track is quite short, and it quickly gives way to Triumph at Nineveh, which takes up this vindictive approach, sublimated by keyboards and other strings accompanying lively riffs, but also the few parts of clear vocals that appear from time to time, reinforcing the duality of the track. The violin perfectly sets the stage for Winter Horrorscape and its haunting introduction, which makes the track one of the most terrifying and theatrical, especially when the intense screams reappear, hastening our steps to the apotheosis finale in the heart of an icy storm.
Borrowing from Old School Black Metal and marked symphonic roots, Tine makes a grand comeback. A Winter Horrorscape is one of those gems of the underground scene, and those who give it a chance already know it.
95/100
