EVERFROST is a band from Lapland, Finland and is to release their second full-length. They're a Symphonic Metal band that draws influence from Manga and anime. However, the big thematic element here is more from their homeland: snow, and lots of it. A solid album with a clear theme throughout, the music is well-constructed, and the album is enjoyable.

"Winterider" starts off with a healthy blend of symphonics and '80s-inspired guitars. The vocals remind me of SONATA ARCTICA; I enjoy the song, but I'm not finding a lot that I can pick out. The choir elements in the chorus are nice. The rolling drums in the solo are notable, as are the sweeps, but overall, this is a powerful, well-produced Symphonic Metal song.

"Juhannus in January" begins the same way: it's clearly a mix of Symphonic and '80s-inspired Melodic Metal. It sounds wintery, especially with the light symphonics in the first verse. It also employs a choir sound in the chorus. It's obviously continuing a winter theme here, which is well-done and communicates the tone in both songs beautifully. The sweeps are really nice in the solo, followed by a choir-sounding synth that brings out the thematic elements.

"Chainlace Angel" starts off with a little more suspense before getting into the heavy riff. The arpeggio in the intro is interesting, as is the verse style: a chorus yells and the singer rap-sings back in a really weird '80s throwback. The chorus is nice, though, using soaring melodies that are more conventional (and wonderfully powerful). They drop the rap-singing in the second verse, which is a good choice. It's an interesting song, and even though some of it is dissonance, it's worth checking out for that reason.

I love the softer verse in "Actraiser", and when it jettisons into an intense, soaring melody, it's great. The intro starts off heavy, but the verses lull into this beautiful piano-fueled melody that sounds inspiring. The soaring chorus is another plus; so far, this has been one of my favorite songs.

"Cold Night Remedy (1)" starts off with some faint synthesizers before building into another cold-themed melody. I'm fine with it; it's the theme of the album, after all. I also like the melody changes going from chaotic and high to more anthemic in the verses. I love the echoing chorus near the end of the song and the cold-wind ambiance there, too. I could really see this one being a fun jam at a concert.

"Brandy and Antifreeze" begins with some wintery piano notes and high guitars. What can I say? They're going all out on the winter theme. The song becomes lower in tone halfway through but has some videogame-like symphonics that are distracting and lessen the quality, but only for a few seconds. The vocalist also sings in a lower key than the rest of the album, which makes the song stand out.

"Die Young" is a cover, of all things, of a KESHA song. The music box/old record beginning was clever, both stylizing itself with the album's theme and employing a Pop-Punk/Emo vocal style from the decade the original came out in. The song had me concerned at first, but as it goes on, it becomes Metal fun. Honestly, it's worth it just to hear a Metal cover of a Kesha song, but it's also a great cover.

"Darkwoods Drain Backwater" takes on a less wintery theme in the beginning, opting towards spooky, stringy symphonics. When the melody changes after the first minute, the thematic winter elements are back in a chaotic way. Honestly, the instrumentals went on for so long, I thought it was an instrumental. When the verse hits, the winter theme is back with sleigh bell ambient noise in the background and high, silvery guitar notes. It's the penultimate, intense song before the closer and has some nice thrash elements in it.

"A Whisper in a Frozen Tale" is the slow song, and it's over fifteen minutes long. It's not uncommon for Melodic Metal to have a long closer showcasing the thematic elements throughout the album, tying them together and pulling out all the stops on their tricks and motifs. I love the fading in and the bursting in of this piece. A final, melodic refrain begins from the vocalist, soaring into bombastic instrumentals, fading down again before a final hurrah.

Overall, it's a good concept album with solid production, instrumentals and ambiance. My one complaint is that the thematic elements can make the songs sound a little too similar, but each song is solid with little flaws.