It’s been a while I know. I have some serious alergy issues and it took me hard these two past weeks. One of the biggest problems of my rhinitis is that it drains all my forces and leaves me with no will to write, or, even, to think. The people who are younger for some more time remembers that Windows had that Security Mode – I guess that is the name of it. Well, I was in it. Nothing else as only the essential features. But life goes on, and on in an eternal going on.
But I am back and here we’ve got Atavistia, a band we reviewed their 2023’s “Cosmic Warfare“ album. Back then, “Cosmic Warfare“ was an album that mixed Black Metal with symphonic elements, and, as I said, the symphonic elements won. The same happen here with “The Winter Way (Reforged),” however, the band goes away from its Black Metal roots even more. Thera very few moments of Black Metal in this album. Bad thing? Well, no, I do not think so. The band that relives from the ashes is much more talented, regarding to musicanship and songwriting. Vocalist Mattias Sippola shows that he is able to sing sucessfully any kind of musical style he wants. The vocal duets the album showcases are very well done and thought through. The music in the album is much richer thatn it was in its predecessor. And that’s another pro. The album lacks more aggression? Well, perhaps, but the tensions they raised here are also richer.
“The Winter Way (Reforged)” is full of epic and grand moments with some operatic and concept albums elements in it. Here the mix is plentyful with some very interesting vocal duets as in “Eternal Oceans,” where Vocalist Mattias Sippola shows that he is able to vocally impress. Not only with “Eternal Oceans,” but there are moments as in “Dawn of the Frozen Age” the songwriting and the musicainship impress as well. I guess “The Winter Way (Reforged)” lets it clear that the band’s musical signature is to musically impress the fan. This gets even clearer because besides having the same album epic prone, the track goes beyond adding some more ingredients to the dough giving the idea of being some kind of Neoclassical band or other. Black Metal, the band’s initial realm, is kind of forgotten here as it was in few moments of the album. Even vocals are clean most of the time. The feeling the fan has is that Atavistia are trying to write a concept album full of operatic features. To some extent, they are doing it as “The Forbidden One” shows the fan. It is the first time I see the guitars following the drumming with the same fast and doubled notes.
However, there is a burning question here having in mind “The Winter Way (Reforged)” is a re-recording of Atavistia‘s 2020 album. Coming to think of it, this album is previous to “Cosmic Warfare,” and I did not have this in mind in the moment I was writing. On the other hand, it was re-recorded in 2025, therefore, technically, this album captured the very present moment of the band. So, the burning question is will Atavistia follow the steps “The Winter Way (Reforged)” or will they follow “Cosmic Warfare‘s” features? Or will the band stick to their Black Metal roots or will they drift away from it? I really do not know.
Atavistia “The Winter Way (Reforged)” will be released on December 12th via Blood Blast Distribution.
Track Listing:
1. From the Ancient Stones
2. The Atavistic Forest
3. Through the Hollow Ravens Eyes
4. Eternal Oceans
5. Dawn of the Frozen Age
6. The Forbidden One
7. The Winter Way
Watch official lyric video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!