![]() When they try to fuse these two strands, such as on the opener called “Crossing the Blackest Skies,” the core black metal lacks punch and sounds overproduced for what it’s trying to be. ![]() These guys are now more obviously trapped between the horns of black and 80s influences. While Land illustrates the same strengths as the debut, this is unfortunately not the whole story. Those extra minutes are wisely invested into fast, immediate music. And although the record runs a little longer than Realm, the songs are short and direct enough that it doesn’t lose much impact over its course. The result will be recognisable to fans of Dissection, though Winter Eternal are less aggressive (musically but hopefully also as individuals). ![]() Its bold melodies, classic metal influences and occasional acoustic interlude ensure it sits at the melodic end of the subgenre, sounding more Scandinavian than Hellenic despite their roots. Land takes up this mantle and runs with it, featuring black metal which is not all that black. Realm was black metal but clearly drawing from heavy metal of the 80s, leveraging a shredding guitar tone, overblown solos and strong, harmonized melodies. This record has all of these qualities too. Clearly the band was unhappy with just realms, so they’re now branching out into a Land of Darkness. Its key qualities include its crisp tone, strong melodies and brevity which it wrapped into a compelling package which almost seems over before it’s begun. It was a low-key release which now sits in my top 5 melodic black metal records of the 2010s. Although they may have relocated from Attica to Scotland, I’m still happy to bundle 2019’s Realm of the Bleeding Shadows with that enclave given its excellence. Greek black metal is a well-established scene in one of metal’s most extreme subgenres, and for me personally, none more so than Winter Eternal.
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