ETERNAL WINTER - TRUE KNIGHT OF METAL
INDEPENDENT
Metal To Infinity
I
wrote a review about this band before. They blew me away with their earlier demo
and ever since I stayed in touch with them. Meanwhile they’ve played at the
Swordbrothers Festival and I still pity the fact I couldn’t make it to Germany.
Not only to witness them, also Throes Of Sanity was present and I really wanted
to see them too but it didn’t work out this way, I will forever regret this.
Nevertheless
Matthew Knight promised me to send their new EP and here it is. Nowadays it’s
rather exceptional to use a live picture for a front cover and although it is a
rather simple concept it still breathes so much what Heavy Metal really is all
about! Just take a look at it; this is pure Heavy Metal, no? On the front cover
this EP is entitled “The True Knights Of Metal We Hail”, on the silver disc
there’s written “True Knight Of Metal EP” so yes, I’m a bit confused but
this isn’t the main issue.
The
first notes of this EP makes clear why I adored this band before. This is
awesome Metal with ultra high pitched vocals, the kind you either like or
dislike. I can’t have enough from it and it seems for Matthew Knight the sky
really is the limit. He is constantly searching the boundaries of his vocal
capabilities. I don’t really mind but I can imagine others could make a
problem of it.
“Within The Castle Shadowgate” contains, in the beginning, parts that
support my thesis but it is a mighty track! The aggressive darkness in it is
just fantastic!
Matthew
Knight’s voice is not only high pitched, he also reaches the goal putting
emotions in his vocal lines. I especially like those vocal lines with an
aggressive undertone, making me remind him to that other Matthew… Barlow (Iced
Earth).
The
fact that Eternal Winter covers a Crimson Glory track tells a lot of the roots
of these guys. Midnight is almost impossible to reproduce but I promise you
Matthew Knight succeeds in making “Lady Of Winter” more than a remarkable
cover.
Musical
wise Eternal Winter is constantly playing on the thin line between European
Metal and the typical US Power Metal. Some choruses are maybe a bit too melodic
to label them as a US Metal band but on the other hand the high pitched screams
and plenty of riffs are making it clear the band is mainly influenced by the
Eighties US Metal movement. It makes Eternal Winter a band that sounds somewhere
in between Kamelot, Crimson Glory, Hammerfall, Iced Earth etc.
This
band contains everything a good Metal band in my opinion needs. I want to hear
in my Metal heavy riffs, screaming guitars, blistering drums, spectacular
arrangements and mind-blowing vocals! Eternal Winter offers it all! Anyway I
hope they allow me to give some advice as well. First of all they should always
keep their music as dark as possible. I also think that every single vocal line
should be well chosen because I expect that it will be the greatest point of
critic in the future. This band deserves more attention and the opportunity to
grow, to release a full album with more money and equipments. Check them out at http://www.eternalwinter.com
or http://www.myspace.com/eternalwinterus.
My Points: 89 / 100 (Review by Officer Nice)