[Review] WYNTER MYST - 'End of an Era' EP [UK Black Metal]

You would be extremely hard pressed to find a physical copy of this little gem knocking around anymore, despite being released only a few short months ago. That alone speaks to the quality of work and high regard that Steve Blackwood finds himself in. Being a cornerstone of UK black/folk metal group Old Corpse Road is one thing, but delve deeper into things and you’ll find a series of impressive side projects and one man bands from Arcane North to Blood Countess, Peasant to Cave Dweller. Now to be added to this esteemed list is Wynter Myst and a debut EP in ‘End of an Era’ that is superbly crafted and pleasantly atmospheric.

Opening with a bludgeoning riff/blast beat combination, ‘Seasonal Depression’ is a fast paced ripper of an opening track, a fully fledged tirade of raw vocal work, pulsating drum work and cold, tyrannical black metal riffs. Complete with slower, more thoughtful passages of cold, harsh melody, ‘Season Depression’ is a solid opener that gets better with each listen. In stark contrast ‘MMXIX’ is an instrumental interlude which brings the pace back down with a jolt. Demonstrating a more discordant tone, this creeps and crawls with wintry tentacles before slithering seamlessly into ‘The Stars Aligned’, a track of mid tempo pace for the most part that exudes an delightful old school black metal sound. Of particular note here is the ruthless, uncompromising drumming barrage that competes majestically with surging riffs and grim vocal work which combined lead to a more ethereal sound.

Once more we are graced with another instrumental track that delicately shows off some of Mr Blackwood’s guitar playing chops. ‘MMXX’ once more feeds effortlessly into an adjoining track, in this case the more rampant styling of EP finale ‘Cold Chains of Chaos’ which in it’s more tumultuous moments takes my mind back to Old Corpse Road’s debut album! Here like nowhere else on this release does the musical offerings match the song name so perfectly. A turbulent helter skelter ride of glorious guitar work and pummelling drums, with colder melodies woven through its fabric and topped off by punishing throat searing vocal work.

Combine all of the above with the simple yet tasteful and apropos artwork and you have an EP of conflicting emotions and patterns, from the cruel harsh winter like black metal fare to more subtle, ordered and harmonious melodies. Easily one of the better UKBM releases of the year to date. [9 / 10]

Wynter Myst Bandcamp