Info
- Band(s): Svart Vinter
- Label(s): Non Serviam Records
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Year: 2025
- Review Date: June 3, 2025
- Author(s): Appeleon
Italy’s Svart Vinter returns to the scene with its sophomore record ‘Isvind’, out on Non Serviam Records. The sterile, cold and bleak album cover is not only beautiful (despite not managing to stand out) it also an accurate description of the music it represents. This is Black Metal and it’s here to hone the bleakest of life’s moments.
Now, Italy has a strong, albeit small, foot in Extreme Metal, or Black Metal for that matter. It brought forth unique bands like Bulldozer, Mortuary Drape and Forgotten Tomb. These heavyweights all gained notoriety for giving an original spin to a defined (sub)genre’s sound. Svart Vinter, most unfortunately, do not fall under the same umbrella. With ‘Isvind’, Svart Vinter aims to be execute the perfect Black Metal album in a modern fashion. Thus, ‘Isvind’ is packed with high speed sections blended with sombre leads for that atmospheric touch. To call this an atmospheric records would be a mistake though. Svart Vinter flirts with atmosphere, but remain utterly true to more basic Black Metal, as it’s made famous by the Scandinavian scene. The Scandinavian influences are both undeniable and obvious as the band’s name and album title are written in the Norwegian/Swedish language.
The precise songwriting and clean production is where this albums excels. Each song is solidly crafted and keeps it length mostly between the 4 and 5 minute mark, which is arguably the best length for songs. This allows for a smooth listening without overly repetitive or underdeveloped songs. The only downside being unoriginality. The band offer little innovation and seem happy recycling cliché Black Metal riffs. For instance, most compositions revolve around slowly progressing guitar riffs backed by fast-paced drums patterns.
It’s a given that modern equipment offers little obstacles for bands on a tighter budget, but still it’s worth mentioning the production job on ‘Isvind’. The sound on this records is very crisp and clear. Every ring of the strings is audible, and yes, that includes the bass. Despite its modern sound, it too manages to feel organic. That’s especially true for the kick drums, whose sound is not nearly as dry as it is on most modern contenders. The vocals are a highlight here. Andrea Maggioni’s screams are pretty diverse and decipherable. Where the instrumentation often trades aggression for flirts with atmospheric music, the vocals retain the essential Black Metal attitude. It’s the vengefulness within the vocals that adds life and colour to ‘Isvind’, which would’ve otherwise danger from sounding too soft.
So, Svart Vinter’s sophomore is a meticulously crafted record. It’s clear that the band was striding to deliver a product that surpasses their debut. It’s more refined and balanced. However, ‘Isvind’ never treads beyond known territory. Fans of the Black Metal genre will find everything they love about it in this release, but it remains to be seen if Svart Vinter will end up in their ‘best of 2025’ list.
Non Serviam Records
- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify, Youtube
