Winterage is a symphonic power metal band from Italy formed in 2008, releasing their self-titled debut E.P. in 2011. The band have released three full-length albums to date – ‘The Harmonic Passage’ (2015), ‘The Inheritance Of Beauty’ (2021), and ‘Nekyia’ (2023).
Evolving their sound into a more epic cinematic feel (than previous releases), Winterage are bigger, bolder and more bombastic than ever – the new album is reaching new heights with dramatic operatic vocals, a massive orchestral sound and blazing guitars! Every song on offer is emphatic, stunning listeners into amazed silence, dropping jaws to the floor with a mighty thud! For fifty minutes, the band stand tall in the symphonic power metal field, launching the album with the two-and-a-half minute highly atmospheric instrumental ‘Apertio Ad Profundum’ – projecting an air of intense anticipation coupled with a menacing undertone…
…segueing straight into the fast-paced album opener ‘Simurgh The Firebird’. And the continuation of the ginormous orchestral and cinematic feel of the intro – imagine one of the biggest Hollywood thrillers, featuring sweeping shots of the desert from the skies above! ‘Simurgh The Firebird’ would be the ideal accompaniment to such a dramatic opening scene, the band forging a big, bombastic sound right from the (albums) start. Winterage has set the bar extremely high with ‘Simurgh The Firebird’, I just hope the band tank is full of fuel to maintain such a level! I needn’t have worried, though, for ‘Nekyia’ powers on with blistering speed courtesy of ‘The Cult Of Hecate’, banging heads hard wherever it’s heard or played. An infectious level greater than the opening gambit rises high in the air, ‘The Cult Of Hecate’ an operatic delicacy to be enjoyed repeatedly. Earlier this year, French symphonic power metal band Phoebus The Knight, completely blew my mind wide open with their brand of sensational symphonic metal – and I didn’t think it would only be a few short months before I was blown away yet again! My jaw hit the floor with an almighty crash!
Picking my jaw up, I’m stopped from putting it back where it belongs, by the elegant swagger of ‘Numen’ – my whole body frozen in startled amazement, just like a deer caught in a vehicle’s headlights! Unable to move, my body starts to throb with excitement, hairs on my arms rising to new heights, ‘Numen’ sending sensations through me from head to foot that are normally reserved for a bit of “how’s-your-father”. Bloody hell, Winterage, if this continues, I think ‘Nekyia’ could well become metal music’s version of Fifty Shades Of Grey! The title song, ‘Nekyia’ is a menacing march of elegant majesty beginning with a short, fairly frightening spoken word passage, adopting an almighty ground shuddering foot stomp, the melancholic feel of Gothic metal blending with the band’s symphonic roots. Changing gear mid-song, ‘Nekyia’ (the song) firmly plants one “foot on the monitor”, the iconic gallop of traditional metal shining through. And then, whoa! A sensational pace-changing swagger takes over, the band twisting and turning this way and that to deliver a colossal mix of symphonic synergy, operatic overtures and cinematic finesse! I’m starting to run low on superlatives, so bear with me a moment while I consult my thesaurus!
Right! I’m back! And loaded with more words than an international spelling bee! Entering balladry, the band float ‘La Fonte D’essenza’ in on clouds so high methinks I just caught a glimpse of the wide expanse of outer space! The band are in such a mellow mood right now, all pace, power and oomph of the album up to this point taking a back seat, ‘La Fonte D’essenza’ projecting a hymn-like nature of immense proportions. Not to mention the huge operatic feel, much higher than the Monte Bianco mountain range (more commonly known as Mont Blanc). I’m telling ya, ‘La Fonte D’essenza’ could well feature as the big finish to one of the biggest operas in the world. And receive a standing ovation to boot! And just when I thought ‘Nekyia’ (the album) couldn’t get any more emphatic, the band proved me wrong! Big time! ‘Dark Enchantment’ is a rousing romp of grace and grandeur, featuring more elegance than a wardrobe full of ball gowns, evening dresses and tiaras! The breathtaking barrage of symphonic power metal on the show is stunning, Winterage delivering one of the most devastating knockout blows of the year.
With an incredible energy boost, the band storms on with the most infectious and catchy song on offer, ‘White Leviathan,’ a thunderous gallop of smile-inducing symphonic metal. The awe and wonder experienced while listening to ‘Nekyia’ (the album) is an out-of-this-world sensation. A sensation I have felt many times over the years – and not just while listening to metal music, I can tell you! But I’m not going to tell you, because some things a gentleman doesn’t say! The final song ‘Metamorphosis, A Macabre Ritual’ is a culmination of all the glorious metal that’s gone before, the band reaching new heights of excellence with an astounding array of styles packed into ‘Metamorphosis, A Macabre Ritual’s seven-minute long stroll. For a stroll is what it is, a leisurely wander across a sun-soaked beach, the sound of waves lapping at the shoreline as gorgeous a sound as you could ever wish to hear…
…although fans of nineties BBC TV mystery crime drama Jonathan Creek, will recognise the show theme tune from ‘Metamorphosis, A Macabre Ritual’s fourth minute. Although I’m sure the band’s source of inspiration for this interpretation was not the TV show, and was more likely from the symphonic poem ‘Danse Macabre’ written in 1874 by the French composer Camille Saint-Saens (the poem the basis for the TV show’s theme tune). The band closes out a superb album with the three-minute instrumental ‘Resurrection Ad Mundum’, featuring just as much intense atmosphere – minus the menace – as the album’s intro.
Overall, a stunning symphonic power metal album, featuring incredible orchestrations and a lavish, majestic elegance.
TRACKLIST
Apertio Ad Profundum
Simurgh The Firebird
The Cult Of Hecate
Numen
Nekyia
La Fonte D’essenza
Dark Enchantment
White Leviathan
Metamorphosis, A Macabre Ritual
Resurrectio Ad Mundum
Winterage: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Scarlet Records
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
