- Prelude
- Mountains Of Madness
- Heathen War
- Desperation
- Winter's Dominion
- Let Death Be Our Pride (Windrider Cover)
"Northsong" is the solo project of American folk metal musician Cortland Runyon. The debut release "Winter's Dominion" was released earlier this year for free download, consisting of five original tracks and a cover of a WINDRIDER song.
The opening track, entitled "Prelude", starts with the sound of wind, followed by the rhythmic banging of drums, epic orchestration and strong guitar riffs. The orchestration helps give the song a very grand, majestic and noble sound whilst keeping it solemn at the same time. "Mountains Of Madness" continues from where "Prelude" finished, keeping a consistent flow. The guitar work is acute and somewhat melodic, whilst the drums are precise to the beat and the vocals are feral, demonic and full of rage. The keyboard sections are reminiscent of the Gladiator soundtrack.
"Heathen War" starts more angrily and aggressive than the last two songs. The vocals seem more hateful and bloodthirsty as well, mixing well with the barbaric ferocity of the guitars and drums. The keyboard riffs blend in awesomely with the rest of the song, bringing a whole new dynamic to both the track and the EP. The symphonic interlude halfway through is grand and sagaic, sounding slightly classically influenced in terms of its composition. The track does turn turn violent again towards the end before becoming orchestrated again. "Desperation" has a very Amon Amarth feel to the intro riff. the keyboard sections stand out the most on this track however, as do some of the guitar riffs. The vocals in some parts seem quite distorted, as well as being almost overpowered by the guitars.
Nearing the end comes the title track "Winter's Dominion". It begins very orchestrated, creating a dignified and immense atmosphere and sound. The guitars and drum work help add to the atmosphere later on in the track, though the orchestration seems to be the most interesting and entertaining aspect of the track. Disappointingly, there are no vocals, which is unfortunate for those who enjoy harsh, death metal grunts and growls. The track finishes the same way that "Prelude" begun, with the sound of wind. The EP is finished with the cover of Windrider's "Let Death Be Our Pride". It eerily sounds exactly like the original, except for the vocals. Northsong has certainly done a good job at the cover, staying true to the original though the only downside to it is that it doesn't seem to have a Northsong element to it as such.
"Winter's Dominion" is an interesting EP. It shows clear signs of different musical influences on its composition whilst keeping its own sound at the same time. Judging by this EP, Northsong could possibly be the next Skyclad. So, sit back with a jug of mead and enjoy this masterpiece.
4/5
Nico Davidson
Links
Northsong Official Facebook
The opening track, entitled "Prelude", starts with the sound of wind, followed by the rhythmic banging of drums, epic orchestration and strong guitar riffs. The orchestration helps give the song a very grand, majestic and noble sound whilst keeping it solemn at the same time. "Mountains Of Madness" continues from where "Prelude" finished, keeping a consistent flow. The guitar work is acute and somewhat melodic, whilst the drums are precise to the beat and the vocals are feral, demonic and full of rage. The keyboard sections are reminiscent of the Gladiator soundtrack.
"Heathen War" starts more angrily and aggressive than the last two songs. The vocals seem more hateful and bloodthirsty as well, mixing well with the barbaric ferocity of the guitars and drums. The keyboard riffs blend in awesomely with the rest of the song, bringing a whole new dynamic to both the track and the EP. The symphonic interlude halfway through is grand and sagaic, sounding slightly classically influenced in terms of its composition. The track does turn turn violent again towards the end before becoming orchestrated again. "Desperation" has a very Amon Amarth feel to the intro riff. the keyboard sections stand out the most on this track however, as do some of the guitar riffs. The vocals in some parts seem quite distorted, as well as being almost overpowered by the guitars.
Nearing the end comes the title track "Winter's Dominion". It begins very orchestrated, creating a dignified and immense atmosphere and sound. The guitars and drum work help add to the atmosphere later on in the track, though the orchestration seems to be the most interesting and entertaining aspect of the track. Disappointingly, there are no vocals, which is unfortunate for those who enjoy harsh, death metal grunts and growls. The track finishes the same way that "Prelude" begun, with the sound of wind. The EP is finished with the cover of Windrider's "Let Death Be Our Pride". It eerily sounds exactly like the original, except for the vocals. Northsong has certainly done a good job at the cover, staying true to the original though the only downside to it is that it doesn't seem to have a Northsong element to it as such.
"Winter's Dominion" is an interesting EP. It shows clear signs of different musical influences on its composition whilst keeping its own sound at the same time. Judging by this EP, Northsong could possibly be the next Skyclad. So, sit back with a jug of mead and enjoy this masterpiece.
4/5
Nico Davidson
Links
Northsong Official Facebook
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