WINTER ETERNAL

Today, Hells Headbangers announces June 28th as the international release date for Winter Eternal‘s highly anticipated fourth album, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

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.

Now, two years later, Winter Eternal return with their boldest record yet: Echoes of Primordial Gnosis. While immediately recognizable as the same Winter Eternal that delivered the preceding modern classic, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis just-as-prominently displays a greater usage of dynamics, particularly those revolving around acoustic and clean-stringed instruments such as cello. Similarly, the still-impassioned playing has been giving an uptick in intensity and analog spirit through session drums by V. Nuctemeron (Sacral Rage, Chainsaw), lending warmth – nay, burning desire! – to the band’s ever-characteristic attack. Soulreaper, for his part, gives a masterclass in spiraling, twilit melodicism: hammering and mesmerizing at first, but his riffs become rippling layers of majesty and mayhem that seemingly echo back on each other, proving that there’s indeed complexity in simplicity of design. Add to this his anguished & emotive vocals, with guest clean vocals courtesy of Macabre Omen mainman Alexandros and Hildr Valkyrie, and the album’s overall concept fully comes into focus: calling forth the spirits of ancient gods and legendary heroes around the world, paying tribute to their timeless powers, with each song thematically focused on one such god or hero. Form meeting content, in every sense – and likewise for Mars Triumph’s symbolic cover artwork.

No longer the black metal underground’s best-kept secret, Winter Eternal step fully into the halls of greatness with Echoes of Primordial Wisdom.

In the meantime, hear the recently revealed track “The Serpent’s Curse” here:

Also hear the previously revealed “Two Heavens as One” HERE, also at Hells Headbangers‘ official YouTube channel. Preorder info can be found HERE. Aforementioned cover artwork and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Winter Eternal’s Echoes of Primordial Wisdom
1. Echoes of Primordial Wisdom (Goddess Athena – Greece)
2. Two Heavens as One (Miyamoto Musashi – Japan)
3. Battle Cry (William Wallace – Scotland)
4. The Serpent’s Curse (God Bida – Uganda)
5. Voices (instrumental)
6. Bending the Fabric of Reality (Common Human)
7. Sacrifice for Glory (Iphigenia – Greece)
8. The Keeper of Sorrows (Goddess Oizys – Greece)

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/WinterEternalBand

www.hellsheadbangers.com
www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers 

Today, second-wave black metal classicists Winter Eternal reveal the brand-new track “The Serpent’s Curse.” The track is the first to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated fourth album, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis, which should see release later this year via Hells Headbangers. Hear Winter Eternal‘s “The Serpent’s Curse” in its entirety here:

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.

Now, two years later, Winter Eternal return with their boldest record yet: Echoes of Primordial Gnosis. While immediately recognizable as the same Winter Eternal that delivered the preceding modern classic, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis just-as-prominently displays a greater usage of dynamics, particularly those revolving around acoustic and clean-stringed instruments such as cello. Similarly, the still-impassioned playing has been giving an uptick in intensity and analog spirit through session drums by V. Nuctemeron (Sacral Rage, Chainsaw), lending warmth – nay, burning desire! – to the band’s ever-characteristic attack. Soulreaper, for his part, gives a masterclass in spiraling, twilit melodicism: hammering and mesmerizing at first, but his riffs become rippling layers of majesty and mayhem that seemingly echo back on each other, proving that there’s indeed complexity in simplicity of design. Add to this his anguished & emotive vocals, with guest clean vocals courtesy of Macabre Omen mainman Alexandros and Hildr Valkyrie, and the album’s overall concept fully comes into focus: calling forth the spirits of ancient gods and legendary heroes around the world, paying tribute to their timeless powers, with each song thematically focused on one such god or hero. Form meeting content, in every sense – and likewise for Mars Triumph’s symbolic cover artwork.

No longer the black metal underground’s best-kept-secret, Winter Eternal step fully into the halls of greatness with Echoes of Primordial Wisdom.

Release date, tracklisting, cover artwork, and preorder info to be announced shortly. In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “The Serpent’s Curse” HERE at Hells Headbangers‘ official YouTube channel. Also hear the previously revealed “Two Heavens as One” HERE, also at Hells Headbangers‘ official YouTube channel. For more info, consult the links below.

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/WinterEternalBand

www.hellsheadbangers.com
www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers 

Today, second-wave black metal classicists Winter Eternal reveal the brand-new track “Two Heavens as One.” The track is the first to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated fourth album, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis, which should see release later this year via Hells Headbangers. Hear Winter Eternal‘s “Two Heavens as One” in its entirety here:

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.

Now, two years later, Winter Eternal return with their boldest record yet: Echoes of Primordial Gnosis. While immediately recognizable as the same Winter Eternal that delivered the preceding modern classic, Echoes of Primordial Gnosis just-as-prominently displays a greater usage of dynamics, particularly those revolving around acoustic and clean-stringed instruments such as cello. Similarly, the still-impassioned playing has been giving an uptick in intensity and analog spirit through session drums by V. Nuctemeron (Sacral Rage, Chainsaw), lending warmth – nay, burning desire! – to the band’s ever-characteristic attack. Soulreaper, for his part, gives a masterclass in spiraling, twilit melodicism: hammering and mesmerizing at first, but his riffs become rippling layers of majesty and mayhem that seemingly echo back on each other, proving that there’s indeed complexity in simplicity of design. Add to this his anguished & emotive vocals, with guest clean vocals courtesy of Macabre Omen mainman Alexandros and Hildr Valkyrie, and the album’s overall concept fully comes into focus: calling forth the spirits of ancient gods and legendary heroes around the world, paying tribute to their timeless powers, with each song thematically focused on one such god or hero. Form meeting content, in every sense – and likewise for Mars Triumph’s symbolic cover artwork.

No longer the black metal underground’s best-kept-secret, Winter Eternal step fully into the halls of greatness with Echoes of Primordial Wisdom.

Release date, tracklisting, cover artwork, and preorder info to be announced shortly.  For more info, consult the links below.

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/WinterEternalBand

www.hellsheadbangers.com

Today, Hells Headbangers announces June 4th as the international release date for Winter Eternal‘s highly anticipated third album, Land of Darkness, on CD and vinyl LP formats. 

Winter Eternal is the sole work of one Soulreaper, formed as a means to express his darkest side – indeed, a place where winter reigns eternal. It all started in 2002 in Athens, Greece where, under the name Unveiled Nightsky, the seeds for the Winter that was yet to come where planted. Nine years later, in 2011, Winter Eternal were officially formed, and a year later, the first demo was released. The band’s first full-length, simply self-titled, originally saw release in 2013 as a limited cassette and, three years later, finally as a CD version.

Eternal winter was raging throughout Soulreaper’s long journey. The multitude of feelings captured in his lyrics and especially his music made Winter Eternal a unique entity within the modern underground: influences ranged from the ’90s Swedish black metal scene (Dissection, Gates Of Ishtar, Vinterland etc) to both the early Hellenic and Norwegian scenes (Rotting Christ, Necromantia, Varathron, Ulver, Windir, Satyricon etc). Truly, this was the work of an old soul, and the results were but only building in strength and sweeping grandeur…

In 2018, a new chapter for Winter Eternal began, marked by Soulreaper’s relocating to Scotland and the release of the second full-length, Realms of the Bleeding Shadows, a year later. Whereas previous recordings suggested an obviousness of influence nobly executed, here did Winter Eternal begin to add to that rich heritage rather than merely replicate it. Everything across Realm of the Bleeding Shadows – songwriting, performance, production, even artwork – was taken up more than a few notches, rendering the record both remarkably fresh and timeless.

Now, stronger than ever, Winter Eternal rampage through the Land of Darkness on their third album, and first for Hells Headbangers. Thrillingly chilling yet breathtakingly emotional, Land of Darkness absolutely bristles with an ancient-days mysticism and melodicism that bring black metal’s majestic past into the present. So authentic is Winter Eternal‘s understanding of classic songcraft as well as sympatico production, agonized and effervescent in equal measure, you’d be forgiven for thinking Land of Darkness was some lost relic released in 1997. However, again like its full-length predecessor but more so here, Winter Eternal poignantly taps into that wellspring of creation the aforementioned legends did and feeds his own lifeforce into it, flexing fluid chops along the way – always in service of The Song, of course – and returns with a nine-song/40-minute document of dreams both dark and beautiful. Nodding to his forebears, Soulreaper reverentially concludes the album with a cover of Gates of Ishtar’s “Dawn of Flames.”

Winter Eternal have at last arrived, and beckon you to venture across their Land of Darkness!

Begin the adventure with the previously revealed title track “Land of Darkness,” which can be heard here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Winter Eternal’s Land of Darkness
1. Crossing The Blackest Skies
2. Land Of Darkness
3. The Illusive Wings Of Death
4. Lord Of False Reality
5. Crown of Stars
6. Faded To Silence
7. Isolation
8. Shaped By Grief
9. Dawn Of Flames [Gates of Ishtar cover]

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/wintereternalband

www.hellsheadbangers.com