Year: 2024
Total Time: 43:08
Label: Metal Blade
Folk Metal is a genre I certainly enjoy, and this year we were fortunate enough to witness several releases in this style. Among them are KORPIKLAANI with «Rankarumpu» and ENSIFERUM, returning after their admittedly excellent 2020 release, «Thalassic». Let’s take a look at their new album, to see what they’ve prepared for us this time around.
From the very first audition, it becomes clear that ENSIFERUM with «Winter Storm», have incorporated even more symphonic elements. This adds an extra layer of grandeur to their music, something that wasn’t entirely necessary but is certainly welcome. The orchestrations are well-crafted, elegant, and carefully placed, appearing at just the right moments without overshadowing the band’s other components.
The album opens with «Long Cold Winter of Sorrow and Strife» a track that maintains the band’s signature style, alternating between clean and growled vocals. It’s undoubtedly a strong start to the album. Tracks like «Fatherland», «Victorious» and the closing piece «From Order to Chaos» are bound to make their way into ENSIFERUM’s future setlists, as they are catchy and have the kind of elements that resonate easily with the audience.
A pleasant surprise comes with the song «Scars in My Heart», where Madeleine Liljestam’s (of ELEINE) female vocals add a unique touch, giving grace to the overall result. The production, mixing, and mastering are meticulously handled, significantly enhancing the listening experience.
Overall, «Winter Storm» cannot be considered as ENSIFERUM’s best album, but it certainly stands as a solid effort. The band remains true to elements that work, while daring to introduce new ones, without surpassing their previous and very impressive album «Thalassic» though, nor managing to recapture their past glory or outdo themselves. Despite these points, “Winter Storm” remains an album that genre enthusiasts will appreciate and is well worth listening to…
Rating: 6/10
Editor: Antonis Braikidis
Related Link: ENSIFERUM – Official Website
