| WINTER'S
THRALL
Winter's Thrall was born in London in 1999. The
group's first EP, "Superman", was quickly snapped up by
U.K.-based label Copro Records. Winter's Thrall quickly rose to
prominence in the U.K. metal scene, and various tours followed.
"Superman" was well received across Europe, with the U.K.'s
Metal Hammer and Italy's Psycho! magazines putting tracks on their
covermount CDs. Following extensive club and radio play (including
London's largest alternative radio station, XFM), Jez moved to New
York to take advantage of the heady international atmosphere and
vibrant underground club scene, to find inspiration and further
exposure.
Winter's Thrall's full length album, "Anomie", is currently
in production with Greg Brimson.
ABOUT ANOMIE
Anomie is a journey into loss and the feelings that accompany it,
from rage through despair, hurt, loneliness and ultimately—even
if Jez does not admit it—acceptance.
These are ten beautifully crafted songs which would sound great
played just with vocals and a guitar. The melodies are extremely
strong, and you'll likely find yourself humming the chorus to "Down"
at the oddest times, before you even realize it. However, there
is an incredible depth of field in the soundscaping on "Anomie"
too, which literally makes the music come alive in the mind's eye.
Jez says, "I wanted to include the expressiveness of musical
styles outside the normal range of rock/metal, drawing from such
diverse sources as Mongolian throat singing,"—the ghostly
growling drones of Tibetan Kaargyra open the album in the haunting
"Void"—"...and the plainsong of early European
music"—which can be heard stalking the stifling "Hollow
Ground", and the dark majesty of "Betrayal".
"The album is basically about loss; loss of loved ones,"
he continues, "loss of direction and sense of purpose because
of these things." He mentions that there is no attempt at reconciliation,
or suggestions of how to rebuild your life when situations like
the loss of a boyfriend/girlfriend, or loved one's death wreak havoc
in your life. "It's not up to me to tell people how to rebuild
their lives, or how to grow. People decide that for themselves—it's
what makes you who you are. This album is about how when bad things
happen, it really sucks. Its about expressing that pain, feeling
it, and working through it: instead of burying your head in the
sand and giving up, or taking it out on someone else."
Lyrically the work is beautiful, and many of the songs' words stand
as works of poetry in their own right. Lines like Cold's "There's
nothing worth believing any more; there is no place we haven't been
before; the little things that matter pass away, and leave our garden
fragrant with decay.'" send shivers down the spine.
What makes this work truly special though, is the charismatic and
hurt-filled vocals, by turns the extraordinary power and intimacy
with which they are delivered. The hairs on the back of your neck
stand to attention as Jez, voice cracked with emotion, delivers
lines like "I am broken, I can't find my way" on "Winter's
Thrall"; yet you cower at the black rage of "My best isn't
good enough for you!" in the hate-filled chorus of "Void".
Though some songs are more challenging than others, there are levels
here that are lacking in many popular works by similar artists.
You will most likely find you end up preferring different tunes
than the ones that first caught your attention. When quizzed on
this, Jez replies, "Yeah, I grew up listening to NIN and classical
composers like Wagner and Vaughan-Williams, so there is a lot happening
behind the scenes in the music which I do not truly understand myself.
That's half the fun of writing it: often I won't understand some
of what my subconscious is saying until years later!"
The album closes with the powerful and bitter-sweet "November",
which pulls deeply from pre-Christian Celtic culture. "It is
an attempt at a laying to rest, a burial rite to give dignity, and
show a great depth of love and respect—something which Christianity
entirely fails to do." Amidst the sweeping cadences, and the
yawning, chasmal vastness, you truly feel dwarfed, you realize the
microscopic length of time you have on this earth—yet you
are left with an appreciation of the beauty of life and of the incredible
experiences it has to offer.
The word anomie is defined as a condition or malaise in individuals,
characterized by the decay of standards or values, and an associated
feeling of alienation and purposelessness. Applied to society, it
represents the reign of isolation and predation over cooperation
and trust, "something we see on a daily basis as ruthless corporations
continue to grow fat on the proceeds of slave labor, selling us
what passes for culture at the expense of our environment, our spiritual
lives and our communities. " adds Jez.
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