Richmond Virginia's Windhand released their debut full-length in 2012. The album received a decent amount of press, but not as much as 2013's "Soma". Let's take a look at where the Windhand saga began.
The first thing that makes Windhand unique is the fact that they have a female lead singer. This is rare for metal bands in general, and exceptionally rare for bands in the doom metal genre that they occupy. Singer Dorthia Cottrell has a great voice, and it adds an ethereal quality to the music. First up is "Black Candles". A very dark and gloomy song, it obviously reminds of the godfathers of metal Black Sabbath and their 1970 debut. The crackling sound of what appears to be rain plays throughout the start and end of the song. A crushingly heavy down-tuned riff dominates the song. Cottrell's wail is tormented and unsettling, a perfect accompaniment for the hazy and sludgy music. A great introduction to the band. ""Libusen" continues the deluge, by again opening with the sound of a downpour of rain a la 1970's "Black Sabbath". I love the heaviness of the track, but Cotrell's vocals are a bit too covered in effects on some tracks for my taste. Also, the song drags on a bit at over eight minutes in length. Drummer Ryan Wolfe does lay down some killer drum work, and the solo adds an element of desolation and crushing bleakness, but the song is a bit long in the tooth.
"Heap Wolves" opens with a great, doomy riff. The song instantly reminded me of Alice In Chains, especially Cottrell's voice. The lyrics are quite hard to hear, due to the fact that the vocals are so heavily effect-laden.Despite this, I love the massive riffs, thunderous drumming, and banshee-like voice of Conttrell. The best song on the album, it is one of the better doom metal songs I've heard in years. The genre is certainly a little bloated right now with many bands sounding way too similar. Windhand seamlessly combine the best of doom bands such as Electric Wizard and Orange Goblin, while also taking sonic cues from 1990's alternative/grunge. A great sound. "Summon the Moon" is an incredibly slow and plodding song, but has a massive sound. The occult-inspired lyrics occupy familiar territory for the genre, but sound somehow more creepy coming from Cottrell than many other singers in the genre. A great track, but the song tests patience at over ten minutes long. The speed of the song may also turn some off, but fans of doom metal know that slow speeds are par for the course on many tracks. The solo on the song is great, easily the best on the album.
The album closes with "Winter Sun". The song opens with the sound of a harsh wind blowing. The band is great at creating ambiance for their tracks. The song sounds like the musical equivalent of some death march through some icy mountain path, very bleak indeed. Cottrell adopts a more traditional style of singing here, and it sounds great. The best track on the album, it's also their most approachable. A great closer, with some smokin' solos.
"Windhand" is a great album. One of the best doom metal albums to come around in years, fans of the genre will certainly like the album. A fresh take on an increasingly stale genre, I look forward to what the band has in store down the road.
Rating-8.5/10
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