Album Review: Winterdream – Inner Lands (Self Released)

Winterdream was born in 2016, from the desire to make music strongly characterised by incisive melodies, heavy sounds and epic orchestral arrangements that only symphonic metal can evoke. For a whole year the project has been involved in the entire production of the debut album, fully immersed in the composition and arrangement process of the songs, thus giving life to songs that represent a path of inner growth, as well as musical. 

This debut album, Inner Lands is out now.

Every bit a symphonic release as you could hope for, Winterdream’s Inner Lands is 6 tracks of bombastic and epic sounding orchestral metal. It’s immediately easy to draw massive distinctions to the bands that sit at the top of that genre, the likes of Nightwish and Within Temptation.

Inner Lands is packed with exciting melodies, heavy guitar rhythms and impressive orchestral arrangements. From the pace of the hyper call to arms that is Escape from the Nightmare to the wonderful gothic tone of Telling Tales to the Stars, this is an album filled with many highs and very few lows.

Truth be told, if you’re not a fan of symphonic metal this is unlikely to change that seeing as how it ticks every box possible. Although it is nice to not see the vocals (as impressive as Margherita Palladino is) front and centre.

That this is effectively the work of just one person (Christian Di Benedetto) is truly staggering.

The highlight track comes in the form of Winterdream, an uplifting melodious song that packs a punch. However, this is an album that really is at the top of what symphonic metal can produce. Short enough too to not start to feel self-indulgent. It’s simply one of the best symphonic releases this year.

Winterdream- Inner Lands Full Track Listing:

1. In the Reigning Obscurity
2. Escape from the Nightmare
3. Telling Tales to the Stars
4. Winterdream
5. Broken Sword of Islidur
6. Our Truth

You can pick up the album now over on Bandcamp and find out more about the project over on Facebook.