Met expectations in any way, yet a masterpiece

Well with the review of this album I'm doing me personally very difficult, but appeared in 2004 predecessor was (not only) in my eyes one of the greatest metal albums of all time.
Now finally available with Time I the long-awaited first part of the Successor (Time II will indeed appear in the coming year) in the dealer shelves and in my opinion is incredibly difficult to classify.

Who expected here that Wintersun simply the infinite ingenuity of its predecessor (especially in relation to the ingenious sounds paired with the tremendous pace) and pick up right where they left off with the debut, will be perhaps disappointed.
After the first short by listening to the album, which I bought blind at 0:01 clock, I've been buying really regret because I Time has almost nothing to do with its predecessor.
My thought was after the first hearing: five songs, one of them an intro and a sort of a break in the middle, 2 songs over 10 minutes - what would that be?

Nevertheless, we are talking with Time I of nothing else than another masterpiece of melodic metal!

The album is, in terms of melodic accompaniment, pretty Asian-breathed and is presented by quite different than its predecessor. Moreover, this is not a CD from which you sometimes runs individual tracks on a compilation or the title by mixes easy sometimes wild, because to time I presented from the 1st second to the finals as a Gesamtkunstwerk, in which every note is exactly there, where it belongs.

1. When Time Fades Away - this is a quiet and slow instrumental intro, which an excellent prelude to all forms through his mystical asiatsich / Japanese melodies, which have to be followed. A babbling brook, strong drums and a wonderful atmosphere - a really wonderful piece that inviting you to dream with your eyes closed and seamlessly merges into the next song.

2. Sons of Winter and Stars - 13 minutes and 31 seconds of pure epic, which is within the song divided into four acts (Rain of Stars, Surrounded by Darkness, Journey Inside a Dream and Sons of Winter and Stars), which (!) completely different from each other and yet combine beautifully in a title. From melodic, on tough up rapidly. From first-class clean vocals screams the title offers almost everything you can imagine. Really great!

3. Land of Snow and Sorrow - (which has already caused me at first listen goose bumps) on a truly beautiful intro followed by a short, quiet acoustic part which then merges with a melodic, incredibly instensivem singing. The song is rather slow, but knows by his gloomy, yet dreamy atmosphere to please - every second of 8:22 minutes is lovely to listen to.

4. Darkness and Frost - a short instrumental transition to the next song with clear acoustic guitar, a few effects and powerful drums. To listen well and seamless transition to the next song

5. Time - Similar to Title 2 of the album is here a very long song, which would be also useful to make 4-5 songs with about 3 minutes duration thereof. The song starts melodically and engages the Asian theme again until Jari song heralds the next chapter and a clear, melodic chorus. Then the pace draws neatly on without losing something of the genius. The later following guitar solo is simply gorgeous. The outro is drifting again in mystical, Japanese regions from and perfected the work of art as it is able, the last brushstroke of an image.

__________________________

I have long wondered whether I should give the album 4 or 5 stars - just as everyone should know, 5 stars, the maximum, 4 stars are the album but absolutely not fair. 5 Are there, however, actually not, because then the 2004 debut deserves at least 7 stars.
Upon reflection, I then decided to evaluate Time I 5/5 stars, because the album is one in spite of its relatively short duration of almost 44 minutes and only 5 titles for the best that I have heard for years.

There has, as already written above, nothing to with the predecessor and is something very unique and special. Time I convinced a rarely reached melody and beauty, sometimes with clear and slow passages - sometimes with breakneck speed and brutality, yet there is never even a second, what would you want to skip. And this is extremely rare with me.

The decision to choose only a few but very long title like it better than I would have thought before. Often you have 2-3 identical stanzas, here every song to evolve, while it is running.

Time I heard in any well-stocked Metal collection.

Who, however, exactly the expected, which the predecessor commanded, could be disappointed, because the album is completely different. But no less great.