The first recording of Himonas from Greece, co-released by a new label called Nebular Winter Productions with Werewolf Promotion from Poland. And what a bulls-eye hit it is! A real promising Second Wave Black Metal release with mostly fast riffs, still it’s a good balance of aggressiveness and melodic hooks, sometimes a bit epic even. Especially the Finnish scene comes to mind, but the music of Himonas also has that trademark epic Angantyr parts as well. It seems Himonas means “Winter” in the Greek language, which nails the raw icy sound of “To the Battlements”. But don’t get me wrong, as it is not a lo-fi recording otherwise the acoustic part and the violin during “The Heart of Winter” (my personal favorite track on this album, as it has everything Himonas can offer) wouldn’t get justice with such a sound. Himonas members Akardos and Psychros really know who to create the right atmosphere on “To the Battlements”. The tracks are not all fast and furious, as “Glorious Death” has a mid-tempo gloomy repeating riff, which can easily be described as a bit Burzum-esque. This could have been easily a release of 1994-1996, which can be considered as a huge compliment. This is great Black Metal! Support Himonas and order this tape! (Ricardo)
Himonas – To the Battlements
Info
- Bands: Himonas
- Labels: Nebular Winter Productions, Werewolf Promotion
- Release Formats: Cassette
- Release Years: 2013
- Review Date: May 1, 2017
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