The band was formed in winter of 2010 after disbanding of local punk/hardcore act "Louder than words". Within first few years we were trying to find out our unique Siberian sound by mixing punky riffs with different varieties of both metal and folk/ethnic music.
Neverending Winter are located in Tomsk in Siberian Russia. They lack the visibility that a substantial label or professional PR representation might provide. Because of their remote location and low public profile, it’s unlikely they would be able to mount tours across Europe, much less North America, and that in turn will likely make it even more difficult for them to attract the backing of organizations that could help expand the global reach of their music — although I have no idea whether they even have such ambitions.
This is the second album from Neverending Winter, a Russian black metal band. Here we have 27 minutes of interesting black metal, with punk, progressive, and folk elements mixed in. This album recording started at the end of 2016 and was completed by 2017. Lyrics again are inspired by both Siberian nature and the sense of life among these endless landscapes, indescribable views and constant colds in the hearts of people here.
The music is well-recorded and extremely enjoyable. There’s a creative passion implied here that makes itself strongly known through the music, and it’s equally apparent that not only does this album show a band that have many good ideas, but that they also have the skill to execute them effectively too.
The songs are well-composed examples of black metal infected with different influences and allowed to bloom magnificently. There’s some impressive instrumentation and textured atmospherics on these songs, in addition to the furious aggression that you’d probably also expect. There’s a diversity of delivery here that’s enough to give every song its own identity, but not so much as to give the impression of a disjointed release.
In contrast to the rich and layered music, the vocals have a firm one-track mind; harsh screams are what we get, performed very well and suiting the music down to the ground. It’s a traditional approach that works nicely with both the orthodox aspects of the music as well as the more adventurous ones.
Those outward visual aspects of the band’s persona, coupled with their location in Siberian Russia, might suggest to some people that the music will be a variant of atmospherically cold and depressive black metal, perhaps lo-fi in its sound, or perhaps heavily laden with drifting melancholy synthesizer ambience. Yet, to my ears, it’s one of the most vibrant and dazzling albums I’ve encountered this year.
There’s a wonderful, organic sense of flow as the music unfolds over the course of the album, moving through differing shades of darkness and light, and ranging from loud, barbarically aggressive attacks to soft and completely mesmerizing interludes.
There are thundering gallops and rocking rhythms in the music, with riffs that jolt and swarm. Slashing storms of tremolo chords and bursts of blasting or somersaulting percussion get the blood rushing very effectively. But you’re just as likely to encounter beautiful instrumental digressions that are meditative or buoyantly playful.
While the music often has a primal, surging energy, it’s also often quite intricate, and the technical skill of the performers is revealed to be very impressive. Wisely, the band chose to give this music a very clean and clear production, facilitating the listener’s appreciation for every grinding bass note, every flight of darting and swirling fret acrobatics, and the force of every hammering riff.
There are two more important ingredients in this fascinating musical tapestry that should be mentioned. The first is that folk music (or at least folk-ish music) also plays a role in these songs. It’s far from dominant, but it provides pleasing surprises and adds to the album’s overall dynamic.
I can’t help but feel that Neverending Winter would make a much larger splash in the black metal pond if they were from the US, for example. Which is a real shame, as this is a superlative work, and I heavily advise you give this a listen.
"The album is so creative and so captivating that it caused me to reflect again on the happenstance of location as it affects the global reach of a band or an album. As their name suggests, long and frigid winters may have inspired this band, but they have found grace and beauty, as well as darkness and tumult, in their conditions. This is an album that will stay with me for years. I hope it strikes a chord with you, too. And if it does, help spread the word." - NO CLEAN SINGING
Formed In: 2010
Status: Active
Years Active: 2010-Present
LINE UP
Sledge - Bass, vocals
Vanya - Guitar, vocals
Lecha - Drums
Location: Tomsk, Russia
Genre: Progressive Black Metal with Punk and Folk elements
Current Label: Unsigned/Independent
Booking/Press Contact: grbk@riseup.net
Bandcamp: http://neverendingwinter.bandcamp.com
vk: https://vk.com/bezzima
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/neverendingwinter
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC375KQQEv1L2kTfRQU3sB9g
Merch: https://neverendingwinter.bandcamp.com/merch
Хиус (Full-Length Album - 2017)
Released July 15, 2017
Credits
Art - Mr. Finn
Whistle at 3-rd track - Basile Faun
Mixing - Sergey Alekseev
Mastering - Will Killingsworth (Dead Air studio)
Samples & layers - Konstantin Rusanov
