I have to admit… I’d actually reached the point where I thought this wouldn’t happen… but, thankfully, it seems that Jari and co are going to prove me wrong! “Time” is on its way and it’s going to be in two parts! I think I may need a sit down and a strong (celebratory) drink. I honestly can’t wait for this!!!
Finland’s WINTERSUN have released the following update regarding their long-awaited second album:
Hello friends!
Time for some album(s) news. Wintersun’s Time is going to be two albums, titled TIME I & TIME II. We made this decision simply because of few reasons:
- All the 80min of material won’t fit on a regular CD and we didn’t want to cut anything out.
- We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.
- The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of “hard listening (not easy listening)” material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me). Both albums will be approx. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.
- We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these “modern times.” No more years of silence for us!
We hope you’ll approve our new little “plan” and support us when the “Time” comes!
The track listing for TIME I looks like this:
TIME I
1. When Time Fades Away
2. Sons of Winter and Stars
I Rain of Stars
II Surrounded by Darkness
III Journey Inside a Dream
IV Sons of Winter and Stars
3. Land of Snow and Sorrow
4. Darkness and Frost
5. TimeTIME I mix is set to be finished by July, mastered in the beginning of July and released in early fall of 2012! TIME II will be released in 2013. Conception of album artworks, videos, live shows including rehearsals will keep us busy during the summer and I’ll also continue mixing TIME II meanwhile. We’ll be hopefully posting some videos and teasers during summer. Also some new live show announcements soon, so stay tuned for those!
We can’t wait for you guys to hear TIME I material and play it to you live! Have a great summer!
- Jari & Wintersun boys
WINTERSUN are confirmed to headline this year’s edition of the HEIDENFEST tour kicking off in October supported by Korpiklaani, Varg, Trollfest and Krampus, before they go on touring the world. Further infos, dates and tickets on heidenfest.eu.
Original source: facebook.com/notes/wintersun/wintersun-album-update-track-listing-revealed/10151756957115234
Lahmia’s “Forget Every Sunrise” EP has been lurking around my playlist for quite a few years (click here to read a review) and it’s a fantastic example of melodeath played to an extremely high standard, so I was thrilled when I heard that the band were releasing a full length album.
So, does “Into the Abyss” reach the same level of awesome as the EP? Well, yes. “Into the Abyss” pretty much carries on where the EP left off (actually it contains most of the tracks from “Forget Every Sunrise”) so we’re treated to the same level of quality songwriting and tantalisingly good riffs.
Even though four years have passed, not much has changed. There hasn’t been a lot of progression. Whether or not this is a problem, really depends on your point of view. If, like myself, you absolutely loved the EP then the fact that Lahmia are continuing to put out top notch melodeath should thrill you. If you liked the EP, but were hoping for something a little different this time around, then you may find yourself feeling a little bit disappointed. On the other hand, if you’re completely new to Lahmia, “Into the Abyss” will provide you with the perfect introduction.
Now the important bit… What does it sound like? Despite hailing from Italy, Lahmia sound like they come from Sweden in the 1990s. Yep, they’ve got that Gothenburg sound and they do it well. Shockingly well. Lahmia should really be touring with Dark Tranquility.
If you like the Gothenburg sound, then there’s a good chance that you’ll enjoy this little slice of tasty metal. Melodic riffs soar through each track and get stuck in your head with ease (I’ve found myself humming “The Tunnel” on quite a few occasions – a sure sign of a job well done!) and – as mentioned before – the songs are well written and flow terrifically well together.
In short, this is a good album. No, scrap that, this is a great album. It ticks all of the right boxes and leaves me with a dopey smile on my face. Lahmia may not be doing anything particulary unique or out of the ordinary here, but they do seem to have spent a lot of time learning their craft and becoming masters at it. It’s a shame that they do not have access to a time machine that will take them to the 90s where could get the acclaim that they deserve. I fear that these days they will be ignored in favour of whatever is currently ‘in’.
Rating: 88%
Sanity Burns have released a trailer to promote their forthcoming debut album. Check it out below:
More information can be found at the links below:
myspace.com/sanityburns
reverbnation.com/sanityburns
facebook.com/SanityBurns
