As I have stated here many times, before part of the fun of this website reviewer gig is being able to expose folks to smaller, independent bands that they may never get a chance to be aware of. I mean sure, its nice to review the likes of Carcass and Gorguts, but we all know those bands and you are going to buy those respective albums regardless of the mass hype and coverage we and other outlets give them, right? Part of my job here at teethofthedivine is to pay lip service to self-released, independent acts and artists who deserve to be heard and have their music spread to the masses (or the 30 of you who read this rag daily). Acts like Leperton, Wretch, Chosen, Anagnorisis, Sacrament ov Impurity, Ara, Averse Concept, So Hideous and this Russian/Swedish duo, Wall of the Eyeless.

Wimfolsfestta is the band’s second, self-released CD, and its 4 tracks are just under half an hour of very well done, progressive, melodic death metal that has nods to the likes of Opeth, Edge of Sanity and such. It’s colored with deft strokes and light/dark hues, melding bristling blackened death metal and atmospheric/progressive injections with clean vocals and lots of emotion and melody. It’s very well written, produced and played with a sound far belying the band’s unsigned and I imagine, relatively unheard of status. The four fairly long songs are all very well developed and varied. From rangy 9-minute opener “Flicker” with its delicate acoustic Opeth-ian intro through 8-minute closer “Piercing Mist” the duo deliver a confident collage of well known metal elements but manage to give each song an identity of their own.

The progressive flourishes aren’t overbearing or forced (the clean vocals are acceptable) and the pure metal riffage certainly bares its teeth when needed (i.e. second track “The Longest Winter”), cementing the band as more than a wimpy, arty fartsy take on death metal. There are some nice, evocative solos (i.e. also, “The Longest Winter”), but nothing too self indulgent. Standout “Revulsion Fever” is the release’s most opulent number, even if one of the shortest at just over 4 minutes, it’s got a great, patient, layered gait and somber melody, that could almost be a Scandinavian doom/death band. Intimate closer “Piercing Mist” has a fierce but gorgeous final few minutes before closing out with a nice acoustic fade out.

Everything about the release is top notch down to the packaging and presentation and I truly hope these guys continue to release music of this quality and that a label notices them and gives them much more exposure as they are one of the more promising unsigned acts I have heard recently.

[Visit the band's website]

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