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By Alaskan Bergwanderer
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Can you feel it? Can you feel Spring approaching? The sun getting warmer, daylight growing longer, and… wait… what is this blast of cold wind that just hit me?
That cold wind, my friend, is one that has blown down from the mountains and through the forests of the German state of Thuringia, in the form of “archaic black metal” band WINTARNAHT‘s fifth full length offering, Anþjaz.
For those not in the know, Wintarnaht has roots in the thick of the second wave. The original band formed in 1997, as the English name ‘Winternight‘. The name was kept all the way through 2012, encompassing a demo and a split released in 2007, and then the first full length titled Pestilenz, which was released in 2010. The name change from ‘Winternight‘ to what we now know as ‘Wintarnaht‘ coincided with main man Grimwald doing historical research on Old High German, a language spoken during the Early Middle Ages, and is considered the earliest stage of the German language. He introduced this new creative angle with 2013’s Tôdhên Uoþal, the band’s second full length album. This is also when we first see the “new” Wintarnaht name on the cover. Since then, Grimwald has continued to further explore these historical roots and apply them to any and all Wintarnaht releases. Also for those not in the know; Grimwald is also behind the bands Dauþuz and Isgalder.
Before we get into thoughts about the album, a couple of questions need to be asked; what exactly does “Anþjaz” mean, and what kind of subject matter is on display for this release? According to the mastermind Grimwald himself:
” ‘Anþjaz’ has several meanings. It is, so to speak, a Germanic/Althochdeutsch (Ahd) mixed word from “ano” for ancestor/ancestor and “alþjaz” old/ancient/before. It stands for times, rites and arts long past. The overarching theme of this release is shamanism, as well as the deep connection to nature and the worship and invocation of ancestral souls. Inspired by an atheistic, godless image of nature and without dogmatic restriction.”
If there’s one thing that should be vastly appreciated about Wintarnaht, it is the simple fact that while yes, it could be simply labeled as a “pagan black metal” band, this project goes far deeper into the broad subject matter than the cookie cutter middle school mythology a fair number of projects, big and small, choose to stick with. The music comes from a deep personal connection; both to the subject matter, the manner in which it is presented (going so far as to use a rarely used language, and why they choose to be known as “archaic black metal” instead of “pagan black metal”), and the obvious connection to nature and all that it encompasses. There’s a particular brand of “energy” that comes off each Wintarnaht release because of this, and Anþjaz is certainly no different in that regard.
Although more or less picking up where 2020’s Hriuwa left off, there seems to be a perceived uptick in overall aggression from track to track on Anþjaz. Be it through the swelling, majestic melodies of ‘Wint zuo Storm’ (“Wind to Storm”), or the very 1990’s styled blasting, thrashy attack of ‘Haimaerþa’ (“Soil of Home”), each track pushes forward with seemingly more gusto, and not once do any of them look back. Even calm instrumental tracks like ‘Ainauþja’ (“Solitude”) or the lurching, doom metal moments of ‘Untar þe Germinâri Mâno’ (“Under the Shaman Moon”) have this feeling of urgency that bubbles to the surface. It’s hard to describe. But trust me, it’s there. Perhaps it’s simply the fact that this is a shorter album compared to Hriuwa and especially 2017’s In Âgez. Things *feel* more compact, and therefore gives that impression of being a “more aggressive” album. Whatever the case may be, the end result sees this energy be quite palpable.
In breaking down the individual musical components, there is no doubt the guitars are the star of the show here. Classical styled acoustic guitars on ‘Infaran’ (“Introduction”), a bludgeoning blackened-thrash attack on tracks such as the aforementioned ‘Haimaerþa’ and key moments of ‘Staingrab in þe Morganbrâdam’ (which seriously hits borderline Absu territory), the underlying tremolo picked melodies on the title track – there’s no denying that Grimwald is a rather adept and versatile guitarist. On a track by track basis, I would say this may be his best collection of straight RIFFS, specifically in terms of the Wintarnaht discography. Grimwald‘s bass playing is quite awesome as well. He makes sure the bass holds down the heavy, and lets the melody shine when necessary. ‘Wint zuo Storm’ being a prime example of both aspects of his bass work. The drum programming on this sounds human enough to fool listeners into thinking a real drummer laid down tracks in a studio. Grimwald achieves great *feel* when it comes to the programming, enough so to suspect he quite likely plays the drums, even if only on occasion. Grimwald also gets to showcase even more versatility as a musician by way of his synth work, which sounds true to his 1990’s second-wave roots at times. Song writing and composition is impeccable. Every part has its job, nothing really seems out of place. It all fits together seamlessly.
If there’s any one thing on this album (and the project in general) that could be a sticking point for some folks, it would be the vocals. Specifically Grimwald‘s preferred higher register for the harsh vocalizations. To be quite honest, the vocal range he displays is beyond impressive. High pitched screams, banshee shrieks, mid-range snarls, gutturals, clean baritones and even air-raid-siren heavy metal highs that any band from the ’80s would be proud of… and sometimes *all of that* on a single track. Also, the ritualistic Shaman chanting that WILL very much catch you off guard during album closer ‘Ûzfaran’ (“Ascension”) is worth mentioning as well. A grand display of vocal gymnastics, for sure.
Anþjaz continues the legacy of great releases that make up the Wintarnaht discography thus far, and I feel it could (and should) end up on a lot of year end lists.
Fortune favors the bold who decide to sit down with this album and truly allow the finite details to soak in with repeated listens!
Anþjaz is available on CD now via Schierling Klangkunst. Cassette coming soon via Grimwald‘s own Archaic Oath label.
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Purchase Anþjaz on CD and digital from the Schierling Klangkunst Bandcamp HERE.
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