Album Review: Winterfylleth – The Dark Hereafter (Candlelight Records)

If darkness is all that surround you, if you’re lost & confused in the freezing cold, if you’re sure you’re being hunted by something unseen…the chances are this album is the music that is playing while you run & hide.

The Dark Hereafter is wonderful slice of blackened metal that forces your neck muscles into action yet retains a sense of beauty with an unexpected melodic edge. The nine-minute wonder that is Pariah’s Path handles this with ease, it’s run-time disappearing in a blur of dark tones & softly played out moments.

It’s followed by the the exciting Ensigns of Victory, that uses its beat to build anticipation for a finish that is nothing short of humongous. You keep waiting for it to break & just when you’re losing hope it does in style.

The longest song on the album, 13 minutes in length, Green Cathedral is every bit the epic you’d expect it to be. It’s slow, drone-like opening few minutes are hypnotic thanks to the soft strums of a guitar in the background. Changing direction at just the right moment, bass & drums are brought in to give it a meatier sound before the howling vocals complete things.

Not just the best song on the album but possibly one of the best songs Winterfylleth have ever done.

This incredible album ends with Led Astray in the Forest Dark, a haunting & doom-laden finish that has vocals that have a monk-like chant effect. It creates an image of huge towering cathedrals with hundreds of fiery torches burning throughout to ward away the creeping darkness.

An fantastic finish to a fantastic album, one of the best of 2016 by far!

Overall Track List:

1. The Dark Hereafter
2. Pariah’s Path
3. Ensigns of Victory
4. Green Cathedral
5. Led Astray in the Forest Dark