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artist: Ancient North
title: Winter Holocaust
year: 2024
genre: Black Metal
type: Album
label: Independent
language: English
rel. date: 2024-12-02
source: WEB/MP3
quality: CBR 320kbps / 44.1 kHz / Joint Stereo
runtime: 00:39:16
size: 90.0 MiB / 6 tracks
rip date: 2026-07-08
source url: https://open.qobuz.com/album/rwhvjpjf3q0kc
tracklist:
01. Blood Dusk 3:30
02. Hand Summoning of the Unholy Exothermic Makutu 8:37
03. Bloodletting Upon the Infernal Bewitching Nightorb 9:03
04. The Vitalizing Chalice of Human Blood 2:02
05. Winter Holocaust 6:28
06. Dawn Fades Into Majesty 9:36
release notes:
With 'Winter Holocaust' the prolific Ancient North arrives at its 5th
full-length album and second one in 2024. That in itself is not even that
unique these days, but what is striking is that with just about every
album the band sounds (completely) different. For example, the usual
Darkthrone and Gorgoroth influences came by on the first record and later
we heard a more Black 'n' Roll sound that seemed to reference Carpathian
Forest. On the latest album, released in January of 2024, the band had
taken a more melodic and atmospheric direction where comparisons with the
earlier work of Satyricon and Ulver, for example, were obvious. It will
not be a surprise then that with 'Winter Holocaust' Forlorn, the man
behind Ancient North, changed his tactics again...
It takes less than ten seconds to determine that Forlorn now has his eyes
on Immortal's first two records. The oppressive sound and driving riffs
are an evident homage to 'Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism', Immortal's
fantastic 1992 debut album. The icy vocals that seem to carry a hint of
reverb complete the obvious comparison. However the album retains this
rather unique sounding production, some of the songs tend to lean a bit
more to 'Pure Holocaust' and even some riffs that remind of 'Blizzard
Beasts' makes 'Winter Holocaust' come full circle on the Immortal
tribute.
In just under 40 minutes 'Winter Holocaust' continues to fire a barrage
of Demonaz-styled riffs and that typical relentless drumming. Although it
is needless to say that Ancient North never really touches the genius of
the Norwegians, but the attempt is more than worth checking out. Even
though those 40 minutes tend to feel a bit long for an album that isn't
always holding up its tension.
Forlorn once again shows that his talent of mimicking the classic sounds
of (mainly) Scandinavian Black Metal is admirable. Now we have had almost
all of Norway's biggest inspirators, I think, to complete the whole
thing, it is time to visit a full-on symphonic affair that resemblance
the first two albums of Emperor. But, honestly, I think it would serve
Forlorn more to just go and find a steady musical course and settle for a
sound of his own.