Hailing from Germany, WITCHING HOUR are a hybrid of Black and Thrash Metal, which both combine to create a haunting, atmospheric yet riff-driven experience which attempts to bring the best of both genres into one formula. "Where Pale Winds Take Them High" is the newest release from said band and it is one that, while by no means perfect, is also a long way from being a failure.

One characteristic of the band that shines through immediately is the unique sound of the vocals, as Jan's howls and shouts have had an echoey effect put on them that straight away makes them sound like they belong in a 70s horror movie. The band choose to write in English, which is a trend followed by many Eastern-European bands for obvious reasons; so many people speak it. This often matters very little in a number of Metal genres, as the vocals can be unintelligible, however here the vocals strike a balance whereby they remain brutal and powerful, while still being understandable if you engage your earholes enough.

Another highlight of the lineup is the drums, which whether through production or just inventive tuning, somehow sound deeper and more powerful than in many other artists' releases. They also come across as very precise; keeping good time with the guitars in the first track "About A Curse Of A Morbid Century", in particular.

This and the final instrumental track "Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten" (roughly translating to "of unspeakable cults") are the two best songs from the release, mainly due to the temp allowing for the instruments to breathe. At a slower, controllable pace, the drums in particular shine through and become much more audible, whereas in the other, faster tracks the guitars run away with the rhythm and the whole affair sounds much messier. That said, even in the middle three songs the music is still admirable during the sections that don't contain vocals, as it seems as soon as Jan begins singing the rest of the instruments attempt to hide behind him, only daring to be imaginative when he closes his mouth.

This is a release that is keen to push boundaries in some areas, but runs out of ideas in others. The efforts to be melodic are noticeable and successful, but there are times when the band seems to forget its intentions and lapse back into a state of repetitive shredding, which can quickly become boring. This is broken up somewhat by solos and the occasional hint of duelling guitars, but still more variation would be welcome.