The month of October and the ode of triumph, the spirituality behind the human soul presented in murky blackness and its endless mysteries. Through dark epics infused with an old school attitude of Black Metal made in English hands, the pious WINTERFYLLETH provide references to issues that can described only with psychological explanations, from spearhead intensity to a mesmerizing smoothness. Though a Black Metal band in its whole, not so equivalent to the Norwegian masters but close enough with its somewhat endured rawness, WINTERFYLLETH seem to be trying to sustain another layer of atmospheric music on top of the darkened screen of utter speed and demonic naturalism. "The Threnody Of Triumph", via Candlelight Records, is the band's third album and their song for a newfound victory to be attained. But will that victory be at their hands? I think that it will but they will have to be a bit more diverse in order to get close to the triumph they so seem to desire.

People asked me what British Black Metal is, I said that I didn't know because there isn't anything distinct from other types of the same subgenre. Most of the bands take example from the old early 90s Norwegian hegemony, but there have been developments by several bands, just like WINTERFYLLETH, that have been using the old black guard as a mere tool or a simple layer for their own implementations. In the case of WINTERFYLLEH, their music wasn't that original. Their additions of hints of Folk Metal issued through several acoustic passages and instrumental like "Home Is Behind" along with melodic octave verses as a rather cool addition to the fast forward ordinary Black Metal riffing. Without dwelling that much on the mixing of the album that wasn't that soothing, especially when it comes to the vocal line that sounded like howling shrieks in a cold winter wind, WINTERFYLLETH replicated some of their material over and over. Furthermore, I understood the decision to write epic compositions but how about inserting a few more features into them? Why remaining in the same direct and straightforward line of Black Metal like total mayhem of blast beats all around or the same mid tempo stumble? Through nine and eight minutes WINTERFYLLEH could have done much more than just doing it like Duracell (keeps going and going and going).

Needless to say, WINTERFYLLETH also showed that even with their plenty of reprises, they can achieve some comforting results in the vein of "The Swart Raven", "The Glorious Pain"and "The Threnody of Triumph". These stories could have been something out of this world, yet their current state satisfied me. There is a punching blow of raw old school Black Metal with thumping beats from hell but also a melodic sense shared by an adequate lead guitar work. I believe that WINTERFYLLETH can present their material in a much better way. This is their third release and it is not bad, but no more than that.