Review: Winteria – Winteria

Style: Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal (mixed vocals)
Review by: Sabrina
Country: Russia
Release date: 1 May, 2022

For those who don’t know, I’m located in Phoenix, Arizona; a place that is as hot as it is dry. Walking outside barefoot during any daylight hours between May and August is pretty much a death sentence for your feet’s skin cells. Likewise, we never experience proper winters as the climate is far too arid. Perhaps it is this ever-present absence from all things snowy and festive that attracts me to album covers as thematic and seasonal as Winteria’s self-titled debut which released during the dawn of 2022’s summer.

What I have found in this debut beyond its seasonal décor is a consistent, well-conceived collection of songs that succeed in a variety of musical categories but are utterly lacking when it comes to the complexity and experimentation in its songwriting – a crucial aspect that makes progressive metal special. That being said, this can still be justifiably labeled as prog metal because they combine a variety of elements from contrasting metal subgenres like symphonic metal, gothic metal, melodeath, and just a pinch of Eastern European folk, with the addition of novel solos from non-metal instruments like the flute, saxophone, and soprano. They additionally utilize a variety of vocal styles to color the album with an authentic flavor; I’m talking, female operatic vocals, low (and I mean low) death growls, European hymns, and a children’s choir. The artists here make sure there is a rich variety of styles and mediums which makes this prime material for repeated listens. It also succeeds in creating a unique cultural and festive listen which is a warm welcome akin to Christmas in July.

Now, I’m sure you are wondering what Winteria actually sounds like. This is an album that is particularly difficult to describe with comparisons alone, nonetheless, it helps to mention which bands had given the artists the greatest inspiration. The most sensible reference that comes to mind is Amorphis, particularly their recent output. This album is very melodic and catchy, with tons of hooks in the form of choruses and sentimental piano melodies; these are amongst Winteria’s greater strengths as songwriters. However, this does not extend to the quality of their riffs, which aside from “Ловец Снов” and “Странник”, are quite bland in comparison to their vocal and keyboard composition. This is somewhat of a disappointment considering the strength of the melodies at hand, and also because more experienced peers like Amorphis deliver riffs that are magnitudes better. Other comparisons can be made to bands like Nightwish and Epica both for how Winteria compose their symphonic arrangements and for the greater variety in their vocal composition.

This album is primarily designed for fans of the catchier side of symphonic and gothic metal as this has conspicuous layers of stringed arrangements that very often displace the metal riffs to the background. The primary focus of each song is its singular chorus which builds into impressive guitar solos, or a non-metal instrument stated above. On the upside, it is relieving to say that these are usually pulled off quite well as I’ve listened to some of the highlights on this album far too many times now. Strategically placed at the bookends of Winteria are two of my favorite songs, “Крылья 2.0” and “In the Name of Winternight” which do well at exemplifying the album’s strengths and weaknesses. They are both incredibly cheesy and melodic with vocal choruses that might be a bit mawkish to those unprepared, their hooks stick with you for a long time, and I often hear small musical reprisals to these on other songs in the album. In the end, the fundamental song structures being centered around choruses are fine for a normal album, but this is advertised as progressive metal damn it! I expect a lot more variety and experimentation from them in the progressive song structures department. This is one of the aspects that I look forward to the most as a prog fan and it left me unfulfilled at a base level, despite its melodic achievements.

In the end, this album is great in a metal bubble, but judging it as a progressive album can hurt its prospects greatly. Nonetheless, if you can get past this criticism, this album has a certain charm about it that few others have. I would recommend it for metalheads looking for an upbeat festive atmosphere reminiscent of the winter holidays.

Recommended tracks: Крылья 2.0 (Wings 2.0), In the Name of Winternight, Воля (Freedom), Странник (Wanderer), Вечность (Eternity)
Recommended for fans of: Amorphis, Nightwish, Nightingale
You may also like: Aural Cadence, Poverty’s No Crime
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | VK | YouTube | Deezer | Metal-Archives page

Label: Independent

Winteria is:
– Anton Koltsov (clean vocals)
– Nicolas Crowen (guitars, bass, keyboards, harsh vocals)
– Alexey Portnov (drums)
– Maya Pidenko (vocals)
– Anastas Nosferatu (vocals)
– Oleg Mission (block flute, flute)
– Alexey Abakhtimov (saxophone)
– Anastasia Kovalyova (soprano)