Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Hailing from Jakarta, Indonesia the female fronted symphonic metal band Blodwen first came on our radar with their debut “Black Symphony” in 2010. They followed that up with the excellent EP, “When Autumn Ends” in 2013 and now, 3 years later the band has finally released their second full-length album, “Winter Falls”. From what I understand, this album has been in the making for quite some time, so I am glad to see that Blodwen finally has it out to us. Was it worth the wait? I would say, unequivocally and resoundingly yes. One of the cool things about Blodwen is that although they are considered a symphonic metal band and there are more than a few similarities with bands such as Nightwish and Epica, like those bands however, they are not afraid to come out of their comfort zone and throw in something different to spice things up. The vocals of Bernice Nikki are outstanding. She does the opera thing very well, but that does not mean she is not capable of more – and she proves it throughout “Winter Falls”. The whole album has the feel of a classical show or play. It is all very theatrical. From the opening “Intro” leading into “For a New World”, Blodwen enchants us with their brand of symphonic metal. “Ghost Town” opens with some crushing riffs delivered in rapid succession and definitely became one of my favorites – and Bernice Nikki delivers one of her finest performances on this song. “Lovelorn” is a big cinematic ballad, that is just huge sounding. Other highlights include “Running Out of Time”, “Tales From the Darkside” and the awesome “Rabbit Hole Suite”. “Winter Falls” is as dramatic and emotional a record that you are likely to hear all year. The band has definitely taken what was so great about their previous work and expanded upon that. The next level awaits.
Rating – 88/100
Tracklist
- Intro
- For a New World
- Ghost Town
- Sebuah Pesan Untuknya
- Lovelorn
- Running Out of Time
- Tales From the Dark Side
- Nicollo’s Fantasy
- Rabbit Hole Suite
- World On Fire
- White Winter Night
- Riverfall (Unplugged)
Line Up
- Bernice Nikki – Vocals & Piano
- Alexander Lexy -Lead Guitar/Keyboards/Synth
- Bayu Djody – Bass
- Indra Bayu – Rhythm Guitar/Contrabass
- Praditya – Drums/Cajon
Links