WINDRIDER : TO NEW LANDS
Unsigned
In reviewing Windrider’s debut EP “Muspelheim” last year, my esteemed colleague Paul was drawn to the intelligence and patience of project mastermind Elliot’s song-writing, and hoped that his particular brand of evocative, folkish metal symphony would long continue, albeit with a little more power. With the subsequent full-length, “To New Lands”, I’m pleased to report that such wishes have been well and truly granted; the density, measured movements and depth of atmosphere are all present and correct, whilst at the same time the ambition and presentation have taken a suitable step up.
That Windrider is still an unsigned effort makes the scope of its creator’s endeavours all the more impressive; the ominous synths that open the “Prelude” of this adventure demand to be called epic, and the clever deployment and combination of a wide range of elements at any one point – for example the rich horns and chorals, biting riffs and unexpectedly harsh howl of “To New Lands (Part I)”, which even manages to include a beautifully-toned guitar solo – reflect a frightening degree of talent. Although the symphonic, folk and fantasy flavours are integral to Windrider’s sound, and boldly toyed with, the cheesiness that one might fear when confronted with the project’s constituent parts is ably sidestepped by the bigger picture, not least because the keyboards are always suitable, varied and well-performed – attributes that contribute well to the avoidance of cliché.
The melodies which adorn tracks such as “The King Under the Mountain” and “There is No Victory” are strong factors too – echoes of Falkenbach and vintage Ensiferum well out of the flowing, vaguely nautical shapes, but as the fitting cover of Annwn’s “Mountains Sunrise” shows, Windrider is very much a product of the exciting and creative folk metal bubble that’s gathering apace on our own shores too. The feature that nails it for me, not a natural audience member for evolving, sometimes repetitive fantastical folk, are Elliot’s vocals – when clean, these are very smooth, but the slip into harshness on the second track was a real winner, instantly broadening Windrider’s appeal and convincing of its seriousness.
If there were justice in the world (or even just the industry), someone would be picking up on acts such as Windrider and some of their other British peers, because this is just as good as anything the continent can offer. If there were moments on “To New Lands” that could’ve done with a closer attention to self-editing, these were easily outweighed by episodes of immense majesty, beautiful contrast and clever build-up. The sky’s the limit.
83/100
ELLEN SIMPSON
