It was another long wait since the last record (5 years) but the new Wintersun opus is finally here. And despite what most of us thought, this following record is not a Time II. The third record of the Finnish melodic masters is called “The Forest Seasons” and it’s divided in 4 tracks, each of them evoking the 4 seasons of the year: Awaken from the Dark Slumber (Spring), The Forest That Weeps (Summer), Eternal Darkness (Autumn) and Loneliness (Winter).
The main composer, Jari Mäenpää, created another masterpiece of melodic metal. The album is full of melodies, integrating death metal shreds here and there. All to accomplish the epic vision of how metal music can evolve into something far greater than just pinches of this and that genre mashed together.
There’s symphonic orchestrations, epic chorus (as big as we can imagine), great solos, multi complex layered instrumental sections with deep and dark atmospheres around them. Furthermore, you will also find a very constructive and progressive link between the songs. The well accomplished songs transition prevent the listener to listen this record as individual tracks, but instead as one single tale in musical format.
Kai Hahto on drums, Teemu Mäntysaari and Jukka Koskinen (guitars and back vocals) were also critical in the recording of this new journey into our inner feelings. This album makes the listener expand his range of emotions, through the reflecting brilliance that lies in the dark world of Wintersun.
An album that will surely leave its mark in all of those who appreciate something different, defying, and incredibly well written, either in terms of lyrics as in song structures.
