Text by Shaks
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Evoking Winds – Bald Mountain
| June 18, 2023 | Independent |
| Album | Digital | 51:42 | 12 tracks |
| Melodic Black Metal / Folk Metal | Minsk, Belarus |
Evoking Winds is an established Melodic Black Metal act of Belorussian origin but with an international lineup. The band’s history goes back for more than a decade, but somehow five albums later the collective is still relatively underground due to personal reasons: according to the band’s statements, Evoking Winds has always been more about creative honesty and freedom, rather than receiving global appraisal. And with Bald Mountain, nine craftsmen (!) once again push the boundaries of what modern metal can sound like.
Bald Mountain is inspired by the Slavic myth of uncertain geographical attribution – many cultures contain mentions of the “bald mountains” where the witches are believed to gather for sabbaths. Combined with the bands’ love of the phantasy genre and pop-culture inspirations like LoTR and The Witcher, the lore of the latest album is centered on both traditional folklore and modern culture. This gives Bald Mountain a strong conceptual backbone for storytelling.
The prime feature of this album is the massive and complex sound that it managed to forge: in 2023 Evoking Winds sounds more compelling than ever. With a diverse list of folk instruments, different vocals, drums and interludes, Bald Mountain creates a truly gargantuan sonic universe. The sound production here is beyond comprehension, crystal clear and so powerful it’s almost tangible. The resulting record passes the impressive 50-minute mark – still, it never sounds repetitive or boring, more of a story full of twists and developments.
It’s a great offering for any metalhead, and a good sign for the scene in whole: Evoking Winds is the living proof of a band that writes music not for commercial purposes only, but for own and listener satisfaction. Bald Mountain is distributed for free, be sure to grab yourself a lossless quality copy.
Text by Shaks
