I don't know about you, but this old Metalhead here is not content to rest on his laurels and let music from the past dominate my lexicon. Indeed, I am always searching for something new and something different. After all, the genre of Metal is so expansive these days that you have to dust yourself off and get out there, back in the game, discovering new music to fill your life with joy, Cue WINTER'S GATE, a Progressive Metalcore band hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. The quintet is set to release their debut EP titled "Between Lifetimes," in April 2018, which contains five tracks.

"The Exile" is the first track released in advance of the EP. What struck me immediately was the versatility of Trevor Teichert's vocals. They can be both earth-rattlingly deep and guttural, and also high-end screams that could wake the dead. The Progressive elements come from their fantastic guitar work and sophisticated sense of timing and rhythm from bass and drums. The entirety of the song is both punishing and melodic at the same time; a fantastic display of musicianship that is easy to assimilate. "Into Perdition" is a short instrumental with melancholy tones and a sense of fading light. In Christianity, perdition means "a state of eternal punishment and damnation into which a sinful and unpenitent person passes after death." The doleful guitar notes really reflect this notion into an audible depiction, especially as they crescendo towards the end, with fat ominous notes that sound like the coming of the end of time.

"Atrocity" presents a heavy and aggressive sound as brutal as any Death Metal band. The vocals rage with intensity while the guitars dance around them as if circling their prey. Atrocity means "an extremely wicked or cruel act, typically one involving physical violence or injury." You're not coming out of this listening experience without the loss of some significant blood and limbs. "Serenity" has a more tender sound from soft piano notes and clean guitar, but still retains a dangerous punch that is subdued at times. It is still dark and despondent, mostly from the vocal delivery. But they opened up the windows and let a breeze sweep in to soften some of their resolve. Their sense of melody here is really quite strong. "Configured" closes the EP. Bright guitar chords open the song with some splendid harmonies. While the vocals never lose their punishing edge, the jovial guitar parts create that juxtaposition in the song that is really something special. The song drips with melodies that you don't have to search for, building towards the end like a mountain spire climbing majestically into the clouds.

As I was enjoying the album, I inevitably found myself trying to figure out who I could compare the band to, but I came up empty handed. I am not suggesting an entirely new genre, but you can readily hear the band's uniform vision for a sound that they create as their own. The core of the album is both savage and merciless, absolutely mauling and crushing. But at the same time, it comes with such a strong sense of songwriting, forward thinking compositions, expert musicianship, and accompanying melodic and harmonic accord. There is something here for all Metalheads to enjoy, and I highly recommend that you hear the wicked magic that comes from WINTER'S GATE.