Rating: 8/10
Release: 31 August 2012
Label: Independent

The German Folk/Power-metal band Winterstorm released a very good debut-album in 2010. The album contained mostly epic power-metal, but some folk-influences can be heard.
Now they’re releasing ‘Kings will Fall’ and we got some previews of this at Wacken this year. We’re curious if this album will bring us some more folk.
Just as their previous album ‘Kings will Fall’ starts with an epic orchestral intro, in which a storyteller pictures a story. When you close your eyes you can imagine a legion standing up and returning to the battlefield. Maybe it’s not very original but very well done.
The we immediately hit off with a speedy track, very nice, very catchy. The clear vocals give it a fine power-metal feel.
‘The Stormsons’ is a track with a beautiful ‘viking’-choir. One of the tracks in which Winterstorms shows they’ve grown since they’ve made their previous album.
The same goes for ‘In time we trust’, in which notice the pirate-feel at once. The alternating clean vocals and choirs give this track an unique atmosphere.
Then there’s a fabulous break with only orchestra and choir, which is a beautiful introduction to the title-track of this album. ‘Kings will Fall’ is definitely a track in which you can shout along: ‘We stand tall, together we can end this fight’, bring me this King I want him raw myself by the end of this song.
The keys in the next song on the other hand are not really magnificent, but when the bass-guitar comes in you can turn a blind eye on that. I have to say there are better songs on this album, this is caused by the keys.
In ‘Stronger’ Winterstorm hits off with warrior-violence at once, then the songs holds back a little, and when they’ve gained strength again they Spice it up again. A very nice guitar in this one, the track is almost to neat and tidy.
‘Fire of Dreams’ on the other hand sounds nice from the start, very catchy but a nice track, with again delicious guitar-riffs. The track has a number of mood and changes of speed which causes you keep interested in this song. Nice!
The ballad ‘Break the ice’ is a very complete track. The track becomes a bit heavier later on which is very nice change. Good song for the people who like this kind of neat clean vocal.
With ‘Dragonrider’ the band gives a grand finale to the story on this album. And they’ve done a good job. You wonder if you heard some pieces earlier on this album. When you like to listen for yourself is this album is worth to be bought, but you haven’t a lot of time, I suggest you should listen to this last track. It’s the whole album in a nutshell, beautiful. A good sample of Winterstorm in one track.

Winterstorm has put itself on the map, if they weren’t on it already. A very fine album which will be highly appreciated by the fans of epic powermetal. The fans of folk-influences don’t get what they like, but I doubt it if the music is lacking this. The music put down by Winterstorm is strong and very convincing, the beautiful choirs and nice guitar-riffs are the cherry on the cake, or should I say the Sword in the Kings belly?

Tracklist

1. The legend reborn 02:07
2. Return to glory 04:41
3. The Stormsons 04:24
4. In time we trust 01:24
5. Kings will fall 04:05
6. Into the light 06:03
7. Stronger 04:53
8. Fire of dreams 05:36
9. Break the ice 04:46
10. Dragonriders 05:18