Between enchanting tenderness and brutality, amongst the fires of the underneath and the coldest fumes of the North, this is the being called WINTERHORDE. Emerged in Northern Israel back in 2002, the Progressive Extreme Metal group has been evolving, seeking to become something greater with each chord they play and record. Only the skies are the limit. Whether through the ancient arts of blackened Metal through the gems of progression, WINTERHORDE are on their way to be the next thing in articulate extremity.

“Amphibia” is first. The opening tones are ominous and filled with symphonic elements. Drums roll in from there with some melody in the guitars. The vocals are harsh at first, but turn to cleans in the chorus, and the bass work is noteworthy. “Neptunian” has a rousing Power Metal sound, and some of the chord progressions have a Classical sense about them. Although you can tell that the band put a lot of thought into their songwriting, it just doesn't resonate with me yet. “The Spirit of Freedom” has a longing quality to it, especially in the vocals and the track’s pace.

“Alone in the Ocean” is a nine-minute opus. It begins with clean vocals and a dose of symphony, but those longing tones are beginning to overstay their welcome for me. The mid-section does show some promise, but it doesn’t outweigh that longing feeling. “Ascension” is a very short instrumental connecting to the last two songs. “A Harvester of Stars” is another deeply longing song. It’s a shame too, because the band has a talent for the grandiose, but these elements overshadow everything for me. “With Bare Hands Against the Storm” closes the album, and it’s another grandiose effort.

I get the themes, and the connections between the songs, and the band clearly have taken some serious time to compose this album. The songs are complex, and a lot of thought went into the album. But it did not resonate with me, at all.