Metal/Technology

Winterlong is a name that has likely been forgotten in power metal circles, though they were something of a wildcard within the scene even when at the height of their output. Being the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, neo-classical guitar shredder and occasional vocalist Thorbjorn "Thobbe" Englund, one might be tempted to compare this Swedish outfit to a number of recent projects fielded by Magnus Karlsson via Frontiers Records, though apart from occasional similarities to the earliest efforts of Karlsson's earlier bands like Midnight Sun and Last Tribe (which were active at around the same time period that this band was at its peak output), this was a fairly different beast. Apart from Englund being a far more orthodox shredder after the tradition of Malmsteen and Impellitteri, Winterlong billed itself as more of a millennial mainline act after the Helloween tradition as observed in the concurrent output of Insania, Stormwind and Narnia. This more by-the-numbers approach to melding fast-paced melodic splendor with an 18th century common practice mode of classical virtuosity started to give way to a more unconventional presentation on this outfit's eponymous third offering in 2005, foreshadowing a very different take on things that would emerge during the twilight of this band's run in the early stretch of the latter 2000s.

To put it bluntly, Metal/Technology is not a power metal album by any definition conforming to either it's Helloween-based roots or the more AOR-flavored variant that rose to prominence just before its release, though there is a subtle remnant of the former held over from the early days. It could be best understood as a modernized interpretation of heavy metal that incorporates some strong elements of industrial and groove metal, to the point where some of the riff work could almost pass for something out of Dimebag Darrel or Jeff Loomis. Thorbjorn takes the reins on virtually every aspect of this album apart from the drummer from the previous album being retained and a few operatic singing slots by Star Queen vocalist Stella Tormanoff, and between his darker approach to production, minimalist grooving riffs and thudding guitar tone, he finds himself in a far different place from where he began with this project, to the point of this being tantamount to a solo album. Perhaps even more auspicious is his vocal style, which mashes a growling baritone that could be mistaken for a deeper answer to Jorn Lande or even Joakim Broden at times, with a shrieking style occasionally being employed that is all but a dead-ringer for Udo Dirkschnieder back during the early era of his post-Accept solo career.

Forsaking the epic landscapes that tended to paint the 2001 debut Valley Of The Lost or the all but obligatory brief instrumental prelude to kick things off, this is an album build off of concise ideas that, while lacking a fully conventional framework, are far more brazen and simplistic. The opening crusher "The Hunter" opts to simply smash the listener square in the face with a sledgehammer of heavy riffing, and while there is definitely a melodic and atmospheric character that paints over it once the keyboards and vocals enter the equation, it has far less of a happy, triumphant character. Things go even further down the road of increasing aggression and end up somewhere highly comparable to the sort of Nevermore-infused rage explored by Communic on "Go To Hell", while grooving monsters such as "Shutting Out The World" and the aptly named "My Nevermore" take on a slightly Pantera-like character (the latter featuring a main riff that could have been heard on The Great Southern Trendkill), though all of this gives way to Englund's more Neo-classically geared shredding during the solo segments. Even when the power metal side of this outfit shines through on melodic anthems such as "And So We Remember" and "Cleaning The Machine", the dark and forbidding character of the production keeps things from getting too pleasant.

It's a rare occasion where a band completely reinvents itself and comes out with something strong, though in this project's case it basically ceased to be a band and became more of a solo venture with a couple of holdover musicians providing needed support on the periphery. The only really negative strike against this album is that Englund's vocals are something of an acquired taste, as despite being competently performed, are kinda all over the place and about as abrasive as Matt Barlow on his worst day. Nevertheless, strong songwriting and a grand display of guitar brilliance are just a few of the elements that make this album work in spite of its quirkiness, and it wouldn't be much of a stretch for even the most ardent Helloween purists to be taken aback by the masterful display of melodic splendor and high-flying guitar work on "The Touch Of Evil", the biggest highlight of this album and arguably among the best songs that Thobbe Englund has fielded with any of his various bands. Following this album making a modest splash in a time when everybody wanted the next Masterplan clone, Winterlong would go the way of Dionysus and fold tent in the late 2000s after putting out a best of compilation, but this album would pave the way for a respectable and prolific solo career for this band's leader, and it definitely has a lasting charm to it that shouldn't be lost on the current generation of heavy metal enthusiasts.

After three albums of basically the same power/neoclassical metal, band leader Thorbjörn Englund decided to make the next album the way he wanted it to be, and thus he recorded it himself, handling all instruments including vocal duties, only being assisted by Leif Eriksson on drums. The title suggests that this is metal, and so it is, heavier than any of these northerners previous efforts. It also mentions Technology. It reflects itself in some rather technical and memorable riff moments – if Yngwie is your biggest idol, it comes naturally. Also there are lots of keyboards, and a few drum loops.

Metal/Technology starts with its best song: The Hunter. Let me assure you – it’s a great start. The powerful heavy riffing gets you headbanging from second one. We’re talking much more distortion than you’d expect from a power metal band, or a heavy metal band. The vocals are somewhat unexpected as well. Thorbjörn’s forced falsetto-ish screams pierce the ears mercilessly. Either you like them, or you hate them. No matter which you choose, the vocals remain being the main annoyance. He keeps changing the type of them. When you go from this falsetto, to grunts, dark, clean vocals and back you’re bound to irritate someone.

The problem is, the songs following the Hunter are of lesser quality. They’re slower, they sound less unique and the guitarwork is less memorable. He’s tried to go for the melody, but it’s only partly working, being half suppressed beneath drums and synths. It sounds better when the guitar is raised in the mix, and he sings the chorus. Then there’s some stupid computer trigged stuff too, like the Go To Hell intro, taking this Technology focus a bit too far. My Nevermore sounds like recent Samael, only not quite as good. On Like Ships in the Night he drops the identity completely, ending up sounding like a marginally heavier Nightwish, both the music and the female vocalist appear to be stolen from the Finnish band. Of course she isn’t Tarja, but she sounds close enough.

The ball isn’t picked up until on Shouting Out the World where speed, rhythm, aggression and swearwords are rediscovered. On A Demon’s Night sounds like more traditional power metal, and is easily lost between the two heavier, better songs surrounding it. The Touch of Evil a great song, second only to The Hunter. We’re back with power, aggression, magnificent riffing and a falsetto screaming:
“Bend to your knees
Get down and please”

This album is not perfect at all, even if the opener comes close. It’s way too uneven, too inconsistent and there’s a little too much high-tech stuff to really work. The vocals, especially the falsetto, are bound to scare off some listeners, and the past in the power/neoclassical scene scares off a few more. Anyone interested in some heavy music and doesn’t puke on first sight of keyboards should check this out. It’s by far the most interesting piece of art I’ve seen since 2004 year’s Samael, Therion and Dio. And they’re only more interesting because the songwriting is better and more stable; none of them has the creativity of this beast.