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Drummer Rolf-Erik Nyland and keyboardist
Karl G. Birkely are the kernel of
Winterstrain, a Norwegian-bred band
that started forming during the late
80s. Guitarist Arnulf Øvre
came on board shortly afterwards,
to be followed by Lars R. Kvaal (bass)
and Geir Helge Fredheim on lead vocals.
With progressive rock/metal and AOR/melodic
rock being their major orientation,
Winterstrain hit the road and finally
their debut album was released in
2005. Three years later and the guys
from Tromso (the gateway to the Arctic)
are back with "Shifting Sands",
a treat for any symphonic prog (with
AOR layers) lover. "Arctic
Prog"? That's how the
members of Winterstrain label their
sound and… yes, why not? The
term seems representative for two
reasons. First you can identify that
the band is a Northern one and secondly
there is a certain degree of coldness
throughout the entire album. Not
cold in sense of lack of feeling,
this would be pointless to be said,
because songs, like "Company" and "Confidence" are
englutting of emotion.
It is said that making a good first
impression could be crucial. Well,
having a fine cover artwork created
by Stein Øvre, any initial
doubts seem to disappear. All the
kudos should go to the artist. There
is a loop in the impression line,
as the starting track "Gone" is
quite weak to open the album and
probably it is the weakest moment
of the album. But the following tracks
are rewarding. Songs like "Inner
Voice", "In the Arms of
the Night" and "Negotiation" are
really great tracks. Well performed
and without stepping onto progressive
beaten tracks, like exhibitionism,
these songs exhibit the potential
of the band. Another positive point
is the lyrics. Although a subjective
factor to many, for my part apposite
lyrics will always be essential and
play their important role to the
final result. Well done, Rolf Nyland.
Speaking of performances, it should
be mentioned that the guitars solos,
carefully written and performed by
Arnulf Øvre are strong advocates
of the band's high and mature
composing level. Right where they
had to be, long as they should be
and pleasant as we would like to
be. Last, but not least is the keys
part. With one of us being a keyboards
addict, there's only one comment
to be made: driving. Have a listen
to "Memory beneath the Sea" for
instance and you'll see what
we are talking about. What seems
to fail our expectations is the production.
Somehow there is the essence that
the vocals are a bit blurred and
thus their dynamics are decreased.
In our view it's a pity, because
Geir Helge Fredheim has a beautiful
and - up to a point - a unique voice.
"Shifting
Sands" is a sample
of somber melodic progressive metal
act, that will make the fans of Queensryche
and Royal Hunt rejoice. Beyond these
references, the album addresses to
fans of melodic hard rock, AOR and
progressive rock. It is a multi-layered
album, which calls for thorough listening
and dwelling in its breezing atmosphere.
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