How many times we have wondered if something new will reveal and give a life breath to metal? Progressive metal is a harbor in our thoughts, yet the scene sometimes seems saturated, either by clones, or by the inefficiency of the leading bands of the genre to produce something memorable. Many of us have turned their attention to the prog/rock/punk/fusion bands (some worthy, most of them not) as a new alternative that needs proper investigation. Please don't bother go so far...

The reason I like the Norwegian progressive metal scene (if such exists) is because they do not care about the prog metal cliches. Sometimes I read interviews by such artists and I wonder if they have ever heard of monumental bands that formed -in a way or another- progressive metal. Even if the prog metal community seems sometimes hesitant to accept them or unable to comprehend their formulas, still few are those that deny their innovation. Speaking personal, Winds encapsulate all that the Norwegian prog metal scene can offer to metal. They blend so many heterogeneous elements in a very coherent formula. They take the finest parts of U.S. progressive metal and blend it with classical music (mainly by Norwegian and Russian composers), black metal in an avant-guardish fashion.

No matter how I like "Reflections of the I" and this album means a lot to me, "Prominence and Demise" is their best up-to-date work. First of all it's the heavier album they have ever done. The guitar work by Carl August Tiderman is the by far the best he has even given and supports fully the variety of the compositions. It's a seminal work, equal to these delivered by Brian McAlpine, Mike Wead and Ron Jarzombek. But the album is more than Tiderman's work. Jan Axel van Blomberg is ranked easily as one of the best drummers of our times, who break (once again) the prejudices about black metal musicianship. Lars Eric Si is breathtaking with his performance in songs like "Fall and Rise" and "When the Cold Winters Blows". Andy Winter has given much of his attention to the orchestral parts, which are worked to the final detail and avoid any fancy operations for impression. I would request a better treatment for the grand piano (and bass) sound in the final mix, but it is a side effect of the heavier orientation. They all work as a unit escalating their creational essence to the very high levels of sheer and pure art.

"Prominence and Demise" features a number of notable participations, such as Agnette M. Kirkevaag, Dan Swano, Lars Nedland (who seems that repays Lars Eric Si's participation in Age of Silence) and Oyestein Moe. This is very suspicious, especially if you watch this trend in metal and its commercial motives. I do not know how critical was the participation of all these in the concept of "Prominence and Demise", but they do support the whole atmosphere and the album's aesthetic. Some guest vocals parts, like Kirkevaag's in "The Last Line", broaden the perspective of the album, without any consequences to its integrity.

"Distorted Dimensions" is by far the best progressive metal composition since "Into the Everflow". It is an extreme, personal and subjective, opinion, but I think that you will also find that the band is now closer to the forms of these underground progressive metal masters than ever. The album is tough. It doesn't let any expectations for easy access to comprehension. Moments of clarity and serenity shift with nightmarish, grieved or hellish parts, just like in "When the Dream of Paradise Died". The album needs thorough inspection in order to understand its hidden semantics.

To conclude "Prominence and Demise" is more than a good, an awesome or call-it-how-you-like album. It is part of the big experience called life. It is a piece of art that will make you better persons, like art is destined to. Of course and you can afford to lose it. But at the end you will miss the chance of living something great.