Svarthen is a busy man, besides his main band these days, AEON WINDS, he has been active in a around a dozen bands since the beginning of the ’00s. It has mostly been centered around Black Metal, often laced with a mystical symphonic touch and musical structures from Folk music – and a lyrical universe based on the darker sides of the Slovak folklore and surrounding areas – and AEON WINDS is up that path. AEON WINDS was created in 2007, the first demo released in 2010, the first full-length “Those Who Will Remain Forever Silent” in 2012 on Naturmacht Productions. Then followed two full-lengths released on Avantgarde Music and now we have the pleasure to indulge in the fourth full-length “An Ode To The Mountains” released by Folter Records. Folter Records did also a re-release of the first album last year. In between full-lengths there’s been a good deal of EPs and splits, Svarthen is indeed a busy man. In my younger days, I was appalled when I stumbled across Black Metal with keyboards, if it wasn’t EMPEROR. Did it make much sense? Most likely not. Though as I’ve become a tad older, ohh well, who are we kidding? I’m an old geezer now – I’ve come to appreciate synth in my Black Metal. I’ve always been drawn into the music of AEON WINDS, as the music always has had a great ambience above it. The band has written some great music and is quite firm at delivering it as well. It will be quite easy to write the band off, as a DIMMU BORGIR worshipping entity. Even though I don’t doubt that DIMMU BORGIR has had a big influence on Svarthen’s musical upbringing, there are much more to it. There is much more melancholy to AEON WINDS’ music. The longing after a time long forlorn, a mystical feel and a try to seize mother nature into the atmosphere. Just take a track as ‘Unyielding Citadel’ it has it all. Catchy guitar melodies, a drawing rhythm pattern, a melancholic atmosphere, great pace shifts, fitting synth and great vocals. It is not the band’s most brutal track, atmospheric and beautiful, and quite drawing – a feel and place you can’t escape again. The album is driven by great and quite catchy guitar melodies, intense atmospheric build ups and a refined delivery on what I wrote in the first sentence. I have always been amazed about how diverse AEON WINDS’ albums have been, and this new album is not straying from that path. A perfect album, released, now when autumn storms come. Enter the woodland labyrinth: www.facebook.com/aeonwinds, www.facebook.com/folterrecordsgermany