Artist: Gone Til Winter
Title: S/T
Type: E.P.
Label: Copro

With the volume of female fronted metal albums that have flown in the past few weeks, it would be difficult to contest that the ‘fairer’ sex are under-represented right now. We’ve had new ones from Leaves Eyes, Echoes Of Eternity, Epica, Theatre Of Tragedy, and closer to home we have this lot. Half of the band may look like they’d be more at home in an Oasis tribute band, but in the end it was the Music Box credit that gave away that they are a Manchester based outfit. It’s clear that a lot of effort has gone into packaging this, with the striking digital artwork and pro-band shot, and it soon becomes clear that just as much effort has gone into the music as well. The mini-album gets off to a good start with ‘Constant Retreat’ which straight away shows what Gone Til Winter are capable of. There is a nice crunchiness to their sound while the keyboards sit comfortably in the mix with a winding melody that bears some resemblance to Firewind track ‘Breaking The Silence.’

In places this hints at the strong metal influence; ‘Twilight Heart’ incorporates some thrashing drums, and while ‘Constant Retreat’ breaks down and we are introduced to an unexpected Maiden-esque gallop. There are some really meaty riffs on ‘Violated Within,’ too which is met with a progressive race along the fretboard. There is a rather proggy feel to this number and ‘Ultimate Reality’ which trails off through spaced-out keyboards and storming power metal passages, while the vocals are quite deep and shows off Talena’s ballsy delivery. There is clearly potential in this girls voice and I am reminded a little of Christina Scabbia in places although there is room for improvement. ‘Hear Me’ also projects a bit of a Lacuna Coil vibe as the light and dark elements intertwine. The heavy wall of guitars is softened by seductive melodies while there is a trace of Goth running through. Similarly on ‘Violated Within’ there is a soft piano part that builds up to a heavy part that is filled with desperation.

‘Nameless Cry’ opens with a rather haunting intro, which builds steadily into the main riff. Midway through the song, all suddenly gets a bit groovy and the tone shifts completely. This isn’t the most exciting thing I’ve heard all year, but it is a solid effort that shows a band with great potential. They have the right image, and more importantly the right attitude to succeed, and I will be keeping an eye out for these in the future.

http://www.myspace.com/gonetilwintermusic

Luci Herbert

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