Wintersun – The Forest Seasons

 Wintersun is one of those bands that whenever they’re in motion people will go out of their way to see what they’re creating as they move simply because they’ve impressed so much in the past that the allure of more is nigh irresistible. Sure, their means of creating their latest opus may have been quite the topical issue for a while, but one can’t argue with results. I held “The Forest Seasons” in quite high hopes, and after over a week of listening to it thoroughly all the way and really taking the entire experience in as much as I could, I can easily say that Wintersun has created yet another special piece for us to eat right up.

To come back and create yet another album that is the very essence of the style that is epic metal, you really gotta be a unique band that has everything in the perfect places. Wintersun is clearly one of those bands, and with “The Forest Seasons” I realized that if they weren’t already renowned for the incomprehensible flavor and finesse then they will be once more hear the excellence that is this album. We’re given a scant four tracks with “The Forest Seasons” which would turn many off, but the fact that each track clocks in well over 10 minutes and have a unique flavor of their own that’s never replicated for even a second, Wintersun creates an organic album that truly breathes while still allowing the band to be innovative as well as true to the style that they’ve been doing for years now. But everything’s brought to a new peak to where “The Forest Seasons” can easily be regarded as the crowning achievement of Wintersun’s already mythical discography. From the epic choirs, enchanting vocals with an unbeatable range, orchestrations of unimaginable proportions, and the ability to encapsulate all of the seasons in their own unique way, there’s hardly a thing wrong with “The Forest Seasons”. It’s possibly one of the most anticipated albums since it was unannounced, and I feel it’s safe to say that they hype surrounding the release was definitely appropriate.

Fans of Wintersun rejoice, for your contributions allowed for something truly magical to take form. And if you’re not a fan of this monolithic band then you’ve no better place to start than with this phenomenal opus. “The Forest Seasons” is a hell of an experience that can’t be passed up if you wanna hear what’s easily the quintessential album of its kind this year. Extremely few bands can come close to the scope of what’s been done here, yet Wintersun pulls it off with utmost skill and grace.

You can listen to “The Forest Seasons” on Bandcamp here.

Track Listing:

  1. Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring)
  2. The Forest That Weeps (Summer)
  3. Eternal Darkness (Autumn)
  4. Loneliness (Winter)