Emerging out of the cold depths of a Canadian winter the black metal outfit release their album “Minus Twenty”. Whilst other such acts elsewhere in the world may be praising Satan or burning down their nearest church, Ides of Winter take influence from mystical folklore, lesbians from beyond the grave and a mutual love of Edgar Allan Poe.
There’s also a recurring theme of seemingly being trapped within a disturbing ice-age, where played at the correct volume Ides of Winter will be sure to cause the bastard of all avalanches. The double kick pedal on the bass drum is dominant throughout, to some it could be considered all too much but when it’s a band doused in corpse paint you wouldn’t expect anything less.
It’s the sheer relentlessness from drummer Levatis Silvarum on tracks such as “Post Maternal Succession” that’s mighty impressive, whilst vocally Caesar Tiberius screams his way through the narrative of seduction at the hands of Lady December.
Although I’m fairly unfamiliar with the Canadian black metal scene, Ides of Winter will appeal to the UK audience and fans of early Cradle of Filth or the (albeit tongue-in-cheek) death metal antics of Evil Scarecrow. They would sit well alongside Scandinavian black metal too and there’s also a touch of 80’s thrash, but where some of those old albums have that low budget appeal, the production on “Minus Twenty” certainly does the heaviness justice.
Front-man Caesar could shatter a frozen lake but he’s also complimented by the deeper growls of Org 665 from Dead Jesus on a couple of tracks. There are guest female vocals with Amanda Kiernan (Order of Chaos/Into Eternity) adding contrast to the storytelling on “Compound Miss Fortune” and “Shiver“, whilst Celine Durval helps turn “Rusalka” into some sort of twisted duet.
When it comes to the albums closing number with “Freezing Moon” Ides of Winter reach out to their predecessors and a cover of Norwegian black metal pioneers Mayhem. A band not without controversy themselves, Mayhem are just as renowned for their links to the arson attacks on Norwegian churches during the ’90s and the murder of guitarist Øystein Aarseth – but that’s not what Ides of Winter are about, for “Minus Twenty” is an album of pure musical aggression, released in an artistic manner and one that embraces the bleakest of four seasons.
Ides of Winter “Minus Twenty” out now
