Pure cold Black Metal from a desolate place! OLD WAINDS are certainly not the latest arrivals and in fact the band has been active since 1995 with four full lengths behind them since 2002. Morok remains the main composer and carries the project forward to the bitter end. In the opinion of the writer, OLD WAINDS are for sure one of the most important Russian Black Metal acts and with “Stormheart” they are here to prove one more time their worth. The guitar work both compositionally and in terms of sound structure is the result of long methodical study. There is a clear need to find riffs anchored in the Black Metal style but at the same time with a personal touch. The sound is the pure Norwegian style Black Metal but seeks to give it an additional touch of glaciality and despair. Some riffs are repeated in an obsessive manner in the style of True Norwegian Black Metal and with a debt to those who made the obsessive and sick repetition of riffs a trademark. Other tracks have the typical disruptive but dark speed. At other moments you will feel completely catapulted into a cold and desolate land from which there is no escape. In the current Black Metal landscape, “Stormheart” has the ability to distinguish itself mainly for two reasons: it sounds in full Black Metal style with an obvious awareness of compositional ability, and it does not rank as a modern attempt to stay afloat by a band that has been active for almost 30 years. This is a typical example of how ‘being underground’ can be the key to the genre’s survival at a time when there is an overabundance of bands. In this mare magnum, OLD WAINDS are among those to be valued! Be sure to check the band at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565691417094 and the label www.facebook.com/darknessshallriseproductions since they have, as always, a wide range of versions for his release.