Chuck Schuldiner Project

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Wind Rose - Wardens of the West Wind




Power metal has always been a hit or miss deal with me, in the sense that some of the bands' efforts to make epic compositions often work against themselves. This is especially the case if the production value of the recordings are unable to keep up with a bands' ambition. With the Italian Power Metal outfit Wind Rose and their sophomore album however, I am glad to say that these issues are nowhere to be found.
Having been joined by musician and producer Cristiano Bertocchi (Labyrinth) for bass duties, Wind Rose entered the studio to create an album that has little to envy from some of the genres' long-running heavyweights in terms of composition and production.

The band plays a form of symphonic power metal inspired by the likes of Gamma Ray and Blind Guardian, mixed with some folk metal elements that remind me of Ensiferum and Wintersun to some extent. The guitars mostly serve as a rhythm instrument that adds a heavy low end to the compositions, leaving the lead instrumental duties to the synths and orchestrations. We can appreciate the bands' focus on atmosphere and composition rather than flashy musicianship. There really isn't any instrument that sticks out in the songwriting, as every idea seems to have been perfectly integrated to serve the overall atmosphere and composition.  Every song has a nice progression that always pushes the compositions forward to keep things interesting. The vocal melodies handled by the very talented Francesco Cavalieri are supported by choir chants that further add to the catchiness and epic feel of the songs.
  
What we get from Wind Rose is a sophomore album that is well paced, well-orchestrated and superbly produced, an album. Wether you're a hardcore power metal aficionado or only an occasionnal listener of the genre like I am, this album is sure to strike a chord in the hearts of any heavy metal fan. Be sure to watch out for this band, as this release constitutes yet another reason to believe that we'll be hearing more from them in the future!
Be sure to check it out!
 
 

WIND ROSE 
Wardens Of The West Wind
Scarlet Records 
Release: 17 February 2015

Official Website
http://www.windroseofficial.com/index.html
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/windroseofficial
Scarlet Records
http://www.scarletrecords.it/

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