ALBUM REVIEW: The Siege Of Mercia – Winterfylleth
Live albums can often be hit or miss. Black metal live albums on the other hand generally have an uncanny likeness to their recorded counterparts due to the ‘organic’ production of the original album. WINTERFYLLETH have always bucked the traditional trends and their new live album The Siege Of Mercia is no exception. Recorded during their main stage performance at Bloodstock Festival in 2017, the album actually enhances the atmosphere of the band’s sound. It could easily be enjoyed as a ‘WINTERFYLLETH Greatest Hits’ if you will. Anyone who has had the pleasure of witnessing the Mancunians live will already know what an intense show the band produce.
WINTERFYLLETH usually conjure a solemn and chilling timbre but the intro amusingly throws that out the window. “Bloodstock how are we doing?!” shouts frontman Chris Naughton as cheers erupt. When the first riff of The Solitary One Waits For Grace (The Wayfarer Pt. 1) starts you can almost hear the opening riff commanding the crowd. Silence from punters ensues as the thunderous drums storm in. Considering this classic track is almost ten years old it hasn’t lost an ounce of its vigour. The live setting and Naughton‘s interactions add a new warmth to proceedings, magnifying the sound. One of the most atmospheric songs live, the melodic ending loses none of its euphoric beauty.
The transition into The Swart Raven is seamless, with its mournful riff leading the way. Drummer Simon Lucas sounds as impressive as ever, never once missing a beat at such a ferocious pace. Riffs soar and dive in furious succession until the haunting break steps the pace down a notch with spine-chilling effect. The Swart Raven is one of WINTERFYLLETH‘s most majestic songs and their odes to ancient times take on new life and sound monumental in a live recording. After the triumphant ending, Naughton humbly claims it feels like coming home when they play Bloodstock. “We love you guys. Thank you for coming and supporting WINTERFYLLETH“ and you can hear in his voice he means every word.
Distortion erupts before the tumultuous Whisper Of The Elements gets under way. The devastating vocals lay effortlessly on top of the cascading guitars. The bold riff shimmers amongst the darkness, providing a hint of optimism to the performance. Faint claps can be heard accompanying the tranquil break in the middle, which acts as the calm before the storm. The mesmerising ending is the perfect conclusion to the song before things take a darker turn with A Valley Thick With Oaks. This track is more on the traditional end of bleak black metal and still sounds blistering after all these years. At the end of the song Naughton explains 2017 marks the ten year anniversary of WINTERFYLLETH much to the crowd’s delight. Clearly an important milestone for the band, they don’t forget to thank Bloodstock Festival itself for supporting them when they started out.
“Sadly time is short and our songs are long, so this is the last one,” Naughton tells the crowd before Defending The Realm brings their glorious set to a close. This fifth track is a triumphant affair but in places it’s evident WINTERFYLLETH were starting to tire. The ‘clean’ vocals are a superb treat which concludes the set on a high. After listening to a full set by these fierce black metallers, the ear can be soothed by the last track on the album; the unreleased Children Of The Stones (Synth Version). This calming rendition enables the listener to cleanse the palette before round two of The Siege Of Mercia.
WINTERFYLLETH have become a staple in the British black metal scene and The Siege Of Mercia is evidence of the band’s sheer talent both on record and on stage. With a career spanning over a decade this album is an excellent way to commemorate the band’s achievements and work to date. Superbly mixed, this record is the perfect precursor before WINTERFYLLETH‘s next chapter and album. So gather and rejoice and let’s celebrate British black metal at its finest.
Rating: 9/10
The Siege of Mercia is set for release on September 13th via Candlelight Records.
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