Beyond the North Winds
SIG:AR:TYR
•
February 22, 2016
This is another incredible release by the multi-instrumentalist from London Ontario. This is definitely less Dark Ambient than the previous release but it's still pretty trippy and a great progression. He offers another classic and some of the best stuff I have heard in a very long time, especially in mostly instrumental music.
We have much more vocals this time and some songs have only a few words here and there but there are a number of songs that have mostly constant vocals throughout. He still sings with a Black Metal edge but he uses clean vocals on a few songs like on ''The Way''. He tries to combine both clean and harsh vocals on that one and quite frankly it adds another dimension to his songs.
He uses much more Acoustic and Spanish Guitar in his songs compared to the first album. These songs remind me a lot of the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez soundtracks, like an eastern or something Middle Eastern. It's really different from his other material and I found it quite refreshing.
He still does not use a lot of Drums on this album and I have no problem with that, it does not affect the quality of the songs at all in my honest opinion.
''Etched in Stone'' is my personal favourite on this album. It's one of the heavier songs on this release and is in three parts. It's starts out quite Metal and the middle of the song is a wicked acoustic guitar solo that turns back to a Metal song. I really like the transition in this song!
There is more variety in this album than the previous release with was very ambient and sounded like a soundtrack to a Viking Exhibit somewhere in Finland! That album was very folkish but still had the various heavy elements.
He has branched out in different styles on this one and the last song reminds me a lot of PINK FLOYD. It sounded a lot like the older albums of these Prog Legends. The vocals are clean but a little bit off the mark. I feel there isn't too much emotion in his voice and it would have added a lot to this song but it's still pretty good.
Almost as good as ''Sailing the Seas of Fate'' but he experiments with a lot of new sounds and it's a definite must buy for everyone who loves experimental and ambient music!
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
"Beyond the North Winds" Track-listing:
1. King of the World
2. Beyond the North Winds
3. Pale Autumnal Moon
4. Under the Mountain
5. Sword from an Unknown Hand
6. Etched in Stone
7. Among the Ruins
8. The Way
9. Far Away
SIG:AR:TYR Lineup:
Deamonskald - All Instruments and Vocals
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