Search - Midvinter :: At the Sight of the Apocalypse Dragon

MIDVINTER's First Opus, and perhaps only?

LORD BITTERFROST | East Norwich, NY USA | 12/29/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For some time, I avoided this band, however, when I discovered who was actually in it, I immediately choose to investigate further. The members I speak of are ZATHENEL(Sorhin/ex-Setherial) & KHEEROTH(ex-Setherial), although the mastermind behind this entity is a fellow by the name of Damien. I would have given this recording five stars if it wasn't for those damn clean vocals that began to appear on the second half of the album. Although sparse, this vocal approach subtracts heavily from the brutality and grimness of the music. This is a shame because MIDVINTER's music is cetainly in the category of elite modern Swedish black metal with a melodic style similar to that of the supreme SORHIN, although less satanic and with sudued keyboard arrangements. Otherwise, Kheeroth's black metal vocal approach is altogether appealing in its nefarious screamed and growled utterances. The album length is likewise most impressive, clocking in at over 63 minutes, definitely money well spent! The production also boasts of Andy La Roque as their producer, who was able to give MIDVINTER's recording premier sound quality, with all instruments mixed well. As for the music, itself, expect long and epic compositions that tend to approach blast beat tempo, however, never ultimately achieve this velocity. The guitar work is noticably proficient and offers a polethora of mesmerizing and melancholic riffs to keep ones attention focused and dark for the long duration of this record. I therefore, advise the purchasing of this MIDVINTER cd. Although, MIDVINTER is or was a side project of Zathenel and Kheeroth, whose respective bands, SORHIN & SETHERIAL, are more highly recommended!"

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Jeremy Ulrey | Austin, TX | 02/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Another Swedish black metal release arrives on American shores to do damage to the national psyche. Actually, in terms of sheer evil hatred for humanity, you could get a lot worse than Midvinter. This album reminded me of a blacker version of Anathema's "Eternity" album, from the somber spaciness of the riffs to the astronomical photo on the front cover (there is a fancy pentagram superimposed over it all, of course). This is epic black metal of the highest caliber. Midvinter are quite adept at extended song structures, the eight songs on "... Apocalypse Dragon" running well over sixty minutes with a veritable catalog of riffs to be found on each track. If there's an area Midvinter could use improving, it's innovation- as good as this album is, there is a bit too much reliance on the standard blast beats and tremolo picking. This doesn't detract from the songs as much as one might expect, but it does mean the listener must give it a few more spins than should have been necessary before the monotony begins to wear off and the band's true brilliance can be recognized. Personally, I think the future of black metal lies in the semi-gothic lyrical concepts that bands such as Midvinter and My Dying Bride are delving into. Midvinter are clearly at the cream of the crop where this style is concerned, making "At The Sight Of The Apocalypse Dragon" an intriguing slab of progressive black metal."

Bullet belts and swords abound on this months review section

Wes | Nashville,TN USA | 12/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bullet belts and swords abound on this months review section. This cd is truly an example of determination. Many, many things hindered the release of this cd- including stolen equipment, the master tape being destroyed and having to be re-recorded. But enough about that. "At the Sight of the Apocalypse Dragon" combines brutality with emotion and conviction, which seems lacking in a lot of albums. Midvinter consists of Damien- guitars, bass, keyboards and background vocals, Kheeroth- Vocals, and Zathanel- drums. All the music was written and arranged by Damien, who has been the only permanent member of the band.Midvinter are total blackmetal, which usually means screaming vocals and dissonant guitar, but this above any standard blackmetal band. What makes this album stand out are the the clean vocals in the background and of course, the great keyboards. The track "Moonbound" features some killer vocal effects and powerful Viking singingGreat news Midvinter alive and well..."