It is not the expected masterpiece

If at times exclusively exuberant reviews inferior is, is an often accused directly Rumgetrolle or that there must be always a write principle of a bad review. I'll try to explain my opinion as good as possible. Has a two sets 5 star rating as the best album of all time, I think, much less significance.

The starting point:
I love Wintersun and all albums that Jari has made with Ensiferum. I simply say once the man has what it takes. The first Wintersun album is for me one of the best albums ever - and yes, I have at home more than 5 CDs. My expectations were huge. So great that I could really only be disappointed. The title 'album of the year' or 'pièce de résistance of my record collection' was actually a foregone conclusion already. I have avoided at all costs in advance samples etc. listen to tackle the CD quite virginal. When I held the CD in my hands, I was a little nervous. After the long wait and the towering predecessor it was just too difficult to estimate what to expect.
Can / should one compare a new album with the predecessor or the CD has to be considered as a single? I think that the previous discs should always keep in mind, after all, that's the style of the band, the one has learned to appreciate and love. Many songs on the first album have ignited directly, others like "Beautiful Death" or "Sadness and Hate" have more attempts needed with me. There are on the album so many songs that me little things, maybe a few riffs, choruses words or tear again from the stool that I press the Rewind button to listen to those parts again. Something makes a good song for me. And, you have to make allowances for Wintersun: No band sounds like they (at least Euphoreon try a little). Already with the first album, they have established their own style, so no one else to play or maybe to play.
So, headphones on, booklet in hand, volume up and off you go.

Here are my impressions after about 5 runs. On points ratings of each song I have omitted:
1) I like intros. They build on a tension and you look forward to when the opener then losknallt. "When Times Fades Away" is Asian-breathed and reminds me a little of the video game "Okami". My concern is with more than 4:00 min but almost a little too long already. Quite nice, but not a hit.

2) it leads smoothly to the first part of "Sons Of Winter And Stars" (Rain of Stars). After 32 seconds at last begins the first typical Wintersun Reef and it is losgeballert - the world is in order. The choir bays come really cool, the song also (screams still a Rise! With?). What a start!
After 2:35 minutes, it goes to 2nd part Surrounded By Darkness. And what can I say: After Wintersun not the sounds to me somehow. Too complicated to prominent keyboards, too much new Nightwish (I have nothing in principle against the three of something). It's a little disappointment wide. The part with the flying through the darkness sounds then again not too bad.
From about 7:00 min it goes to the quietest part Journey Inside A Dream. I can not help it: It sounds relatively unspectacular.
Come now still something? Yes, I'm in the last part of "Sons Of Winter And Stars" from 8:49! The thumb or alternatively Pommesgabel goes to heaven and it can be mitgegrölt! Of course, a song must not always have - but that has now once Wintersun also identified for me on the first album. The chorus (if one can call it so) in any event ever miss me a hearty earwig, which I caught on the bike. And at 11:11 min key moves then suddenly coming back to the Rewind button: Embrace the Stars! As Jari the raushaut with his inimitable, almost suffering voice of the hammer! After frosty black metal-inspired frenzy. Geil! Toward the end, again sung the grandiose chorus from several throats. That is pretty depart live.
The past 5 minutes are definitely by far the best part of the entire song. If he had passed only from the fact I would have been happy. The problem of the whole song: It does not sound really all of a piece, but composed. As if you as many ideas, etc. would grab riffs in a song. There are songs like "And Then There Was Silence" (Blind Guardian) or "Thus With A Kiss I Die" (While Heaven Wept) also exceed the 10 minute mark clearly and despite tempo changes or without classic verse - Bridge - Refrain- division act substantially closed. Somehow it is not the expected Oberhammer.

3) With "Land Of Snow And Sorrow" follows the ballad of the album, almost the equivalent of "Sleeping Stars" from the debut. To make it short: Grandiose! Alone as a typical line of text like the great chorus And Asleep I fall, I will dream the Last Dream. All I was is gone now and sorrow is all I feel - that's why I like the band like that. For me, currently the best song on the album!

4) It follows with Darkness And Frost again a very nice instrumental, but nothing more. Had done well as an intro quite well. Equips as an army for battle? If you listen very closely, it sounds as if a huge crowd is a battle cry by themselves. Perhaps I am mistaken also. And now there is the next song full of the Twelve with what fast à la Beyond The Dark Sun or Winter Madness?

5) No. It follows the official conclusion in the form of "Time".
Has anyone ever the cry and the washed-out sound at 1:26 belongs? Sounds almost like Darkthrone to their Black Metal :) Rumpel days. And I mean that positively. The beginning is but otherwise something sedate. It follows something like a bridge with Time will go on and we are drifting away in the night. If Jari then and I Know That you are forever gone sing - Hammer, Hammer, Hammer! Unfortunately After The Turn (except TIME! -Refrain) Back a little too much Gefrickel until there vocally again to hear the called, simply great parts. There then follow 20 seconds to completely unsuitable Klaviergeklimper, which merges into an Asian-sounding end. Also, unfortunately, not the rest of the songs fit, although it sounds quite nice. But the problem is: either it sounds like the major Chinese film epics such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, etc. or just after Chinese restaurant. I am currently still not sure what I decide.

6) So, surprise (?): On the CD sleeve 5 songs are given, but appear 6. What could the CD player that be? Silence to the runtime to stretch something? More or less. This is the (A Capella-presented) Refrain from "Sons of Winter and Stars". But: If one hears silence min first time 1:51, I feel a little put on the arm. This is an album but stretched artificially lengthened. Then 1:10 song, then again 35 seconds silence and finally some stupid Rumgebrülle. What shoud that? Be funny? That makes more broken the mood. If a Tankard album is finished for example with a belch (nothing against Tankard) - OK, that fits. But here some studio nonsense - it need not be.

My Conclusion:
A fitting word to the music of Wintersun would probably "drama" with lyrics like "Time Fades Away and I fadeaway", similar to the first album, "Life is just a beautiful death" or "I give my life to you". Previously, this was for me always been an important focus of the texts: hopelessness, despair and cold, combined with somehow happy melodies, beauty and a little hope. So like a warm ray of sunshine the eponymous winter sun (yes, that may now certainly bombastic sound ^^ a little). This was achieved both through the Wintersun music, and the lyrics and the vocals. At least textually linked to the album of the debut. Musically I miss these great, almost emotional moments. Although the music can not be absolutely compared: The whole thing reminds me of the last albums of Nightwish. The songs are clogged up with orchestral tracks and samples. Sometimes less is simply more.

If one is to assess the overall package of music and Cover / booklet design, so I have to say that this reference was Asian but somewhat carelessly designed with clothes and the 08/15-China font. What you think of when you think of a winter sun? An Asia certainly not. The band will have as might have thought something in (or maybe not?), But I see in the lyrics no relation.

At runtime: Although soon appear Time II, but a season of 44 minutes (ultimately there are even only scarce 40 minutes to for the last song I cross to get out), I think frankly not enough. Clear one could argue quality rather than quantity. Also Instrumentals certainly have a right to exist, which I do not doubt. But if you these six minutes still deducts, is not much. This reminds me a bit of While Heaven Wepts Album Vast Oceans Lachrymose with two instrumentals for last.

Some might see the review in some respects wrongheaded. I am certainly not a hopelessly outdated and none of the age matters Group, which indeed makes little sense in the case of a young band like Wintersun. I admit - I have 'Wintersun II' (Album) desired and not 'Wintersun 2.0' (band), was as partial to read already. That may certainly mean stagnation of the eyes of the artist and not to ignore it, that Wintersun have evolved. Mir is all but easy to progressive, very playful, sometimes just too cluttered and too much filler available (Ye know the saying 'No fillers, just killers'). I miss the catchiness of the first album. There you can sing any song easily, the song structures are challenging, yet simple. Negative simply formulated some 'poppy'.

Although I will refer here scolding because I album (as even hoped for itself) can fully abfeiern: If you factored the production of the album, the technical problems involved and the resulting long waiting period (some thought certainly, the album Never) comes, of course you can be glad that the album has finally been released. And of course it's production technology on a very high level with a probably huge effort, one can hardly imagine. It all sounds in all just then, as if the band with this one album would present their ideas all at once. For me, unfortunately, suffers from the catchiness of the songs a little less.

If the first album deserves 5 stars, time simply can not be put on a par. Of course that's what Wintersun have created here, for the most part still better than the rest and some bands would probably sacrifice for both hands to write such songs. Maybe my expectations were simply too large. More than 3 stars I can not give currently. 3.5 would certainly be appropriate for a 4 star, it is not enough simply. But the highlights are sown just too scarce. Perhaps the album has to grow to 50 times or more be heard. Then the review can of course be adjusted.

Thank you for reading the conclusion and at the same time apologize for the length of the review, which probably eh hardly reads. At least no one can complain that I would not have justified my opinion. I'm excited, despite everything on Time II.