what I call "newcomers" :)

Barely perceptible illuminates the winter sun, the rich fir forest landscape in the middle of a Finnish mountain range, which is constantly attacked in the second half of dreary, endless erscheindender darkness. The untold masses of snow cover not only the nährbaren ground, but buried ruling in pleasant times virtues - All Mutmacher as hope and confidence are evidently like the abyssal temperatures victim, along with the usual kind. Even the pained expression of the old old man who has blazed with his last strength its way through the grueling scenario is now visible solidifies and the indisposed Walker appears the bitter cold around not to have grown: Despondent he leaves the last grueling footprints, before he collapses on the icy ground with definitive death wish and gives in the raw forces of nature of his snow-white resting place ...
These impressions or minimal aberration calls the artwork of the first WINTERSUN disc out and it is at this point probably not too far-fetched that the old man may the martyrs for the most promising first published in recent months - is perhaps even for the debut of the year and the snowy landscape, the dark musical direction of audio medium perfectly characterized, even if I do not just the blood seems to run cold at the moment rather summery temperatures. The band around the former ENSIFERUM singer Jari Mäenpäa and ROTTEN SOUND drummer Kai Hahto is an upstart with a remarkable history, as those in charge of Nuclear Blast gave satisfied already with a comprehensive three tracks but scheibar very meaningful in-house production to WINTERSUN with a fat recording contract to pay. Had Mäenpäa initially planned only a side project, he announced the beginning of his post at ENSIFERUM singer, to be able to fully concentrate on his work. And that was worth it: With the self-titled debut album by multi-instrumentalist has almost single-handedly (Mäenpäa responsible to "Wintersun" for all instrumentations, even excluding the excellent drumming) a beautiful piece of Melodic Death created, that is probably to offer variety wealth hardly , Similar to his former employer here mate countless Black / Death Metal influences with the usual folk bonds ála MOONSORROW - Mäenpäa creates however even the artifice, to include further elements in the sound structure, without, however, losing the thread. Among other things, can be found on "Wintersun" brute DISSECTION sounds ("Winter Madness"), typical CHILDREN OF BODOM-Frickeleien ("Beyond The Black Sun") and even soliciting the traditional Metal branded HAMMERFALL - or I stand around with the opinion there alone that the chorus of "Death And The Healing" is somewhat reminiscent of the cult ballad "Glory To The Brave"?
He was expelled mostly from the songwriting process with Ensiferum, so the universal totally underrated musician can finally put his artistic potential impressively demonstrated. In addition to the very extensive as mentioned songstructures Jari Mäenpäa is of course still a husky singer, what comes through the self-composed vocal lines once again much more pronounced advantage. With elegant lightness of the song between the usual Melo-Death scratch vocals and crystal clear vocals trällendem who always far away is the eunuch pitch changes. There is also the virtuoso drumming of Kai Hahto, who also had an audible effect on the songs - the hardness of ROTTEN SOUND will of course never be reached completely, yet the exceptional musicians rattles partly quite in the best grindcore style it going to be then something to soothe and provide the necessary space to countless melodies. These same run like a red thread through the whole album and decorate particularly the signboards "Sleeping Stars" and "Death And The Healing", but also the faster pieces "Beyond The Dark Sun" and "Battle Against Time" let the beautiful guitar runs always miss not know and always very pleasing. Somewhat annoying is the fact that these songs are all in the first half of the tracklist, while the last pieces of the longplayer even good, but anything but have failed outstanding. As can also oversized length of these tracks - the last three songs beyond all 7 minute limit - save anything, but because they have more to offer musically not in itself affect the songs thus rather artificially protracted, rather than the shorter tracks on the album.
Despite the slightly unfortunate statements "Wintersun" is undoubtedly a commendable debut album two great instrumentalists become and I am really sure that this will be the start of a very promising career. Since the sound has been very diffuse, will feel not only metalheads who Jari Mäenpäa had canonized too ENSIFERUM times, but also followers of various styles - both NIGHTWISH- and AT THE GATES disciples are on the album that is quite find familiar elements - can inspire the album.