The English Black Metal horde WINTERFYLLETH are back with their fifth full-length album. In just under a decade, this band has amassed quite the following, and have undoubtedly gone on to conquer the underground scene, even starting to slowly insinuate their way into the mainstream. Perhaps more melodic and enthralling than many of their peers, WINTERFYLLETH have been known for the captivating scenes of nature and primal beauty they paint through their songs. After 2014's "The Divination of Antiquity", this year's "The Dark Hereafter", unleashed through Candlelight Records on 30th September, follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, albeit with somewhat unsatisfying brevity.

With just five songs amounting to a total playtime of 40 minutes, and two of these not even being new or original, this is the shortest offering of a full-length album that WINTERFYLLETH have ever released. Marked by subtle differences in the approach to the songwriting, "The Dark Hereafter" does give a glimpse of something different, yet the majority of their style remains much the same. Like much of their previous work, tremolo picking remains much at the forefront of the guitar work, whilst frost-bitten vocals counter the roiling drums. And again we see their stunning balancing act, poising between haunting atmospheres on the one hand, and snarling, passionate musicianship on the other. Starting off with the title song "The Dark Hearafter", WINTERFYLLETH deliver what could possibly be the soundtrack to the end of the world. This brutality is carried over to the next song, "Pariah's Path", which takes the listener on a veritable journey through a range of soundscapes. However, with this being a bonus track from 2014, this song will be well known to staunch fans. The apex of the album is taken up by "Ensigns of Victory", a somewhat lacklustre affair that is soon forgotten, given the tumultuous onslaught of the two songs before it, and the majestic and cavernous sound of the two songs following on from it. Penultimately we find "Green Cathederal", a sprawling and majestic song that dwarfs the others with ease. Gradually waxing and waning through expansive passages, this song personifies tranquility steeped in melancholic keening grandeur. Closer "Led Astray in the Forest Dark" is perhaps one of the songs where WINTERFYLLETH have ventured further from their chosen path, including an all-time first use of clean vocals. However, as this song is a cover of ULVER's "Capitel I: I Troldskog Faren Vild", this is not necessarily an element that the band will stick to in the future. Nevertheless, here it complements the lush keyboard sections, which add myriad layers to the music. And it is perhaps here that we most obviously see the band trying something new, with spoken word sections, and lucullan keyboard sounds.

Overall, its somewhat disappointing to see WINTERFELLYTH release an "album" that actually only has three new songs. Surely this would be better classified as an EP? Don't get me wrong, these three are for the most part well written and beautifully crafted, but the album as a whole seems to be rather thrown together. Nevertheless, WINTERFELLYTH allow us a tantalising and captivating glimpse into what their future could  hold. "The Dark Hereafter" is by no means their crowning achievement, but still is worth a spin, not only if you're into the band, but also if you'd like hear Black Metal that's different from your run-of-the-mill stuff spewed out these days.