Well, some projects on Metal really can astonish us due the efforts and all that is around the musical creative process. Especially if some musicians on the project are linked to some well known bands, the expectations can be tremendous, as the pressure for a good album. But once it's done the first, the following albums can be great. And the all-star project called THE WIZARDS OF WINTER is really something amazing. Just a little listening on "The Magic Of Winter" is enough to be sucked inside their musical world. It seems to be a Christmas project, but it's done in a Progressive/Symphonic Metal embodiment. It's elegant, grandiose, melodic and tender, but with the due amount of weight their music needs to exist. Of course that it's very good, and it's not only to be heard on Christmas, but the whole year, you know. Excellent instrumental arrangements, great vocal works, and a very good musical taste is presented to us, so let's enjoy it out loud!
"The Magic Of Winter" has a grandiose musical atmosphere, the result of a hard work done on the production, because this sound quality, to be reached, demands great efforts. But they won this battle, and their songs flow clear and heavy in the same proportions, so you can understand and get the best from their songs."Flight of the Snow Angels", "Season's Lament", and "Christmas Cotillion" are instrumental songs, each one of them with their own value, but as their finest moments, we could name the grandiose and tender "Spirit Of Christmas" (fine melodic vocals, and excellent orchestrations and great guitar riffs), the excellent "Waken To The Sound" (again a melodic and tender song, with very good female songs, but now, some guitar solos appear and give a tasty touch to the song), and "Ebeneezer" (an old Christmas tale, that now is translated into a very good song, done with a Classical insight, with great pianos, and great contrast between male and female voices). Of course the whole album is excellent, but these one are just to begin with the feast.
Excellent album, and have a Merry Christmas!