Winterfylleth – The Unyielding Season (Napalm Records)
Winterfylleth’s ninth opus concludes with a graceful, elegant cover of Paradise Lost’s Enchantment. It’s a love note to Yorkshire misery… and a fitting tribute to one of the UK’s most metal institutions. Winterfylleth, in many ways, are on course to gain that revered status too. Like Nick Holmes and co., they’re pioneers, having spearheaded British black metal over two decades. And like the Halifax gloomsters, they’ve forged a unique sonic identity… and barely made a misstep across a lengthy career. Winterfylleth have led the way, laying a path for acts like Abduction, Wode and The Infernal Sea to follow.
They’ve built a legacy to be proud of. UKBM would not be the force it now is without them.
Now, 18 years on from their debut, The Ghost Of Heritage, they’re entering a new era. The quintet have never been a prolific touring act, but the Northerners are hitting the road more frequently, post-pandemic. They’re in demand across the mainland Europe fest circuit. Signing to Napalm Records has given them serious international clout. There’s a renewed sense of momentum behind Winterfylleth, so they needed to make a big statement on The Unyielding Season.
And by Christ, they have.
Any doubts that the departure of long-time bassist Nick Wallwork could have thrown this band off course are dispelled as soon as Heroes of a Hundred Fields rages into being. One of the band’s most aggressive pieces to date, it’s a truly incendiary opener. There’s a metallic crunch to some of the track’s riffery that we’ve seldom heard from Chris Naughton and Russell Dobson. It’s startling in its intensity.
As is Echoes In The After…
The song, adapted from a poem by Sir Philip Sidney’s 16th-century romance The Countess Of Pembroke’s Arcadia, is a reaction to the felling of the ‘Robin Hood’ tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall. For those of us from North East England (this author included), that act of environmental vandalism cut deep. Echoes In The After is a suitably stirring and passionate lament for a symbol of beauty, one that adorned the cover of Winterfylleth’s The Hallowing of Heirdom. The sense of loss is palpable, as Naughton and co. wear their hearts on their sleeves during six unforgettable minutes.
Switch to songs such as the lengthy title track and A Hollow Existence, and you can see how far this band have come since The Ghost Of Heritage emerged on MySpace. The melodies are exquisite, the complex arrangements dexterously executed, and Mark Deeks’ elemental keys lift the tracks as they weave and soar. The ambition shown on 2024’s The Imperious Horizon is still very much in evidence.
However, what really stands out on The Unyielding Season is how hard it connects. There’s always been something primordial about Winterfylleth’s music, as if there’s an ancient spirit pouring into their work. Yet rarely has that been channelled as directly as you’ll hear on this record. Towards Elysium burns its way into your soul. Perdition’s Flame seethes and scotches. This pair alone could reap the band a new legion of followers.
And Winterfylleth would thoroughly deserve a greater audience – and the higher billing which comes with that.
Two decades of hard toil, and 20 years of creating spellbinding black metal, is paying off.
Their time is now.
Winterfylleth photo by Aaron Scott (@foto.jacker).
