Ancient melodic black / death metallers Winter Eternal reveal the new track „Born From Winter’s Breath.“ The track is the first to be revealed from the band’s fifth album, Unveiled Nighsky, which will see release later this year via Hells Headbangers: WINTER ETERNAL „Born from Winter’s Breath“ (from ‚Unveiled Nightsky‘ LP 2025)
It was but the dawn of summer 2021 when Winter Eternal released their breakthrough album, Land of Darkness. The band’s third album overall and first with Hells Headbangers, Land of Darkness truly launched the name Winter Eternal onto the worldwide metal map with their absolutely authentic synthesis of 1997-vintage melodicism and mysticism. „Melodic black metal“ before it became a dirty word, mainman Soulreaper proved that his heart pumped the blood of the ancients, recalling both ’90s Swedish and Hellenic scenes (the band originally formed in Greece, but later relocated to Scotland) but now with charisma and personality to spare. Above all, Land of Darkness bristled with stellar songwriting and impassioned playing – timeless black metal songcraft that can stacked alongside those old, hallowed tomes rather than simply drawing influence from them. Amazingly, Soulreaper eclipsed that modern classic with the 2024 follow-up, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis. Taking the same iron-clad template, Winter Eternal here flexed a keen grasp of dynamics, utilizing more acoustic moments and incorporating such clean-stringed instruments as cello. Even so, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis managed to increase the intensity, anchored by session drummer V. Nuctemeron (Sacral Rage, Chainsaw).
Wasting no time in doling out another tome of windswept majesty, Winter Eternal promptly return with Unveiled Nightsky. Joined once again by V. Nuctemeron, Soulreaper continues to explore the theme of myths and legends from around the world, much as its momentous predecessor did. However, on this fifth album, he also explores themes of the cosmos – planets, stars, and the concept of a grand cosmic order. Suitably, Winter Eternal’s attack bridges all aspects of the band’s past – the more measured moments, the most fiery ones, moments of quietude, and most definitely moments of spiraling melodicism, all given defter expression through another analog-heavy production – but far from being a look back, Unveiled Nightsky looks forward and outward, eyes wide open to the breathtaking (and portentous) gravitas of an infinite universe. Soulreaper’s sonic approximation continues to straddle the sometimes-razor-thin line between melo-BM and blackened death metal (see the works of Sacramentum and Necrophobic), but the strength of his songwriting is undeniable, and he further proves he’s a masterclass unto himself: by now, Winter Eternal are fully established as a creative entity adding to and expanding upon that hallowed canon, in effect „caretakers“ of this rich and yet often-cherrypicked tradition. Those who thrilled to the breathless urgency of Echoes of Primordial Gnosis will be more than satisfied here, as well as just about anyone who prizes METAL songcraft played with passion, authenticity, and uncompromising attitude.
As if to underline such gravitas, Unveiled Nightsky references Winter Eternal’s earliest moniker, adding a personal and symbolic touch to the album’s narrative. Melodic black / death’s current kings continue their reign!
