Oceans Of Slumber’s vocalist Cammie Gilbert is going to hog most of the praise that comes Winter’s way – and she deserves it, too.
She’s turned in a performance that makes the record leap out of your speakers and demand that you listen, mixing the soulful character of a proper diva with an honesty and intensity of emotion that’s rare and affecting – and doing it all with some killer melodies to boot. The cover of Nights In White Satin, complete with blastbeats, will get its share of interest, and as it’s ace, that’s equally fair.
But Winter isn’t the work of a half-decent band with a killer vocalist, a quirky cover and the drummer from shortlived grindcore greats Insect Warfare. This is a spectacular metal record that wanders with ease and grace between thunderously extreme black and death metal through contemplative doomy crush and into mind-expanding prog.
It’s hugely clever, but you only notice that after you’ve lost your shit to it for three spins in a row. Fucking brilliant, from start to finish.
