Imperial Grand Strategy

This is the second full-length album from Operation Winter Mist, a Canadian band playing war/black metal.

Compared to the last album, the production on this one is a bit stronger. The guitars and vocals are right up front, and the drums sound crisp and clear. This really suits the band's style - this Gorgoroth-esque sort of metal benefits from clear production.

The songwriting on this album has also improved. This band sounds best when they aren't all-out blasting, and there are plenty of mid-paced and slow sections here. I especially like the swaggering "Imperial", and the anti-American "Northern Aggression". This band goes a great job with fitting the vocals to the music, and OWM does more with this on "Imperial Grand Strategy" than they did on "Winter Warfare II", as well.

This album is a big improvement over the last one, and should please war metal fans, as well as people looking for militant, second-wave-influenced black metal. Recommended.

Standout tracks: "Imperial", "The Cold Front", "Northern Aggression"

Review by Vorfeed: http://www.vorfeed.net