WINTERSUN – The Forest Seasons (Repress) – 2LP – Clear with Green Splatter Vinyl

2LP – Limited Edition Clear with Green Splatter Vinyl (2024 Repress).

Third (2017) studio album from elusive Finnish folk/power Metal band Wintersun.

Mixed and mastered by the band themselves, The Forest Seasons invites the audience to embark on a musical journey through a mystical forest with it’s 4 colossal tracks and a total running time of 54 minutes. The first track of this new sonic adventure, ‘Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring)’, begins with a mysterious, dreamy melody, accompanied by subdued forest animal sounds. With driving guitars and pounding drums, the song snakes through an unstoppable 15-minute course. Second up is ‘The Forest That Weeps (Summer)’, which also starts with a calm and gloomy acoustic intro until you get woken up by haunting low guitars, continuing the previous lead melody. Even more tiny sonic details rise up all around and lead through the harsh verses to the track’s majestic clean vocal-choruses, followed by a heavily grooving and increasing instrumental interlude. In the end, after reaching it’s pinnacle in the form of the final chorus including an even more massive choir (feat. members of ENSIFERUM, TURISAS, MOONSORROW, TYR etc.), ‘The Forest That Weeps (Summer)’ abruptly returns to it’s original theme and fades away slowly Silence is reigning A foreboding wind is drawing near’Eternal Darkness (Autumn)’, the 3rd track, catches you by surprise and keeps what it’s title promises with it’s black metallic elements- devastating blast beats and harsh vocals await!

Traditional folkish tunes lead into the most emotional, saddest and also concluding part of The Forest Seasons, ‘Loneliness (Winter)’. One of, if not THE most impressive and varied vocal performance by Jari, supported by the bittersweet lead guitar tones, guides you through a walk full of sorrow and hopelessness, before this almost 1-hour rollercoaster ride comes to an end This album is definitely WINTERSUN’s most varied opus to date and cements their status as a one of a kind group! It’s intricacies means it needs some time to get into, but then you will be rewarded with a fantastic journey for your mind. With The Forest Seasons, Jari Menp has once more proven to have the magic touch for building musical works of art.

Tracklist:

Side A
1. Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring) (14:40)

Side B
1. The Forest That Sweeps (Summer) (12:18)

Side C
1. Eternal Darkness (Autumn) (14:08)

Side D
1. Loneliness (Winter) (12:54)