Winds Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Winds' third album, 2007's Prominence and Demise, took almost three years to record, as the adventurous Norwegian quartet sought new avenues down which to drive its progressive brand of neo-classical heavy metal -- even inviting several guest musicians like Edge of Sanity's Dan Swanö, Borknagar's Lars Nedland, and ex-Ulver Oysten Moe to the sessions, while working once again with members of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra on select cuts. And, as a result, the album may well qualify as the band's most eclectic yet, as creatively ruminating tracks like "Universal Creation Array" (featuring backing vocals from Madder Mortem's Agnete Kirkevaag), "Fall and Rise," and "The Last Line" waste little time in abandoning the musicians' heavy metal comfort zone to explore ambient soundscapes and complex symphonic arrangements. All four of Winds' core members are masters of their craft, but if anyone stands out above the rest it's keyboard player Andy Winter, whose classically steeped piano contributions both define their unique style and mesh beautifully with the metallic instrumental flurries of guitarist Carl Tidemann and drummer Jan Axel Blomberg (aka the legendary Hellhammer) on highlights like "The Grand Design" (containing rare Cookie Monster vocal parts), "The Darkest Path" (which still sneaks in a Spanish guitar bit), and "Where the Cold Winds Blow" (boasting yet another stunning piano intro). Conversely, if anyone lets the band down, it's singer Lars Eric Si, whose voice is simply not powerful or rich enough to round out such ambitious compositions with worthy melodies, given his rather limited lower range. But then, vocals are probably the lowest priority in the minds of most Winds fans, who, due to the career pedigree of these musicians, inevitably hail from the black metal end of the extreme music spectrum. So if the caliber of an album's instrumental portion is ever going to outweigh the importance of its vocals, Prominence and Demise is one such album. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'The Imaginary Direction of Time'
Release Date 4/27/2004
Tracks 12
Label The End
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Reflections of the I'
Release Date 4/9/2002
Tracks 16
Label Sub Frequency
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Winds' first full-length, Reflections of the I, is a high-minded collection of ornate yet mellow and tastefully executed classical/progressive metal songs. The songs are bound together by soul-searching existential lyrics, which give the album a conceptual feel. In addition, the album has an overarching form to it, with the songs becoming somewhat more intense as the album goes on, giving it the feel of a suite or song cycle. This type of material risks becoming ponderous, and some of the lyrics come close to crossing that line (although, since the bandmembers are writing in English as a non-native language, they should probably be given a little slack in this department). However, the music itself is classy in its presentation, with real string accompaniment (violin, viola, and cello) as opposed to synths and softly sung/crooned vocals that avoid getting into the more high-pitched, melodramatic zone that so many singers in this style favor. Carl August Tidemann delivers his slithering, virtuosic guitar lines (which are sometimes harmonized together) with finesse, and even drummer Hellhammer, known for his hard-hitting attack on the skins, approaches his kit with more restraint than usual. The overall feel of the music is slightly dark, and there is a strong romantic tendency at work ("romantic" as in the period of classical music that bears that name; after all, one of the instrumentals is designated as a reinterpretation of a piece by romantic composer Rachmaninov). The skilled delivery of this music, together with the smooth, clear production and the consistently strong (although generally subdued) melodies make this a recommended album for fans of progressive or classically inclined metal, especially if they are willing to give it a few extra listens to allow the album's subtleties to show through. [Note: The U.S. version of this CD, released by The End Records, also includes the entirety of the band's debut mini-CD, Of Entity and Mind.] ~ William York, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This 21-minute CD is a solid debut by Norway's Winds, demonstrating the band's virtuosic yet restrained style of classical-rooted progressive metal. The presence of drummer Hellhammer and guitarist Carl August Tidemann, two-fifths of the lineup on Arcturus' Aspera Hiems Symfonia, creates some surface similarities to that album, but the other key elements in Winds' sound -- Lars Eric Si's crooning vocals and Andy Winter's subdued piano playing -- steer Of Entity and Mind in a different direction. The overall feel is a shade dark and surprisingly mellow, with a solitary, thoughtful quality that is highlighted by the effective but sometimes vague lyrics (e.g., "What do I search for in the distance/This memory haunts me still"). Listeners should note that this EP is included in the U.S. release (on The End Records) of Winds' first full-length, 2002's Reflections of the I. ~ William York, All Music Guide
