WINDSWEPT ia a Black Metal band from Ukraine. Formed in 2017, this is the band’s fourth release, and second EP. The album has but four songs. “Verbrannte Brücken” is the first song, and out of the gate, it presents a thick and chaotic sound, with galloping drums, a steady riff, tortured vocals, and a general feeling of anger and hate. It rolls forward from the very first note and doesn’t let up until the song is over. “Die Bürde der Erinnerungen” has some moment of somber melody mixed in with the madness, although the madness burns them away with the intensity of a rocket fire. They let off the gas pedal for just a little bit, and then it’s down to the floor once again.

“Drangsal” is another fast moving song, and it’s clear now that they band wants to establish and maintain that traditional Black Metal sound. The fire burns endlessly through the end, with some chants that are bone-chilling. “Jedes Todes Lohn” closes the four-track EP, and it’s a beastly ten minutes. Bass notes come from the opening, and the riff has a groovy swing to it. I love the prominent role that bass plays in this somber offering…it’s something that you don’t often hear in Black Metal.

Overall, there was just enough variety out of four songs to give the album an edge, as well as raise the listener’s interest in future works from the band. The genre seems to come more naturally to Ukrainian’s in my opinion, for enduring all that they have to with the war and the weather. It’s a testament to the fire that each citizen has inside them.