CRYPTIC WINDS — Storms of the Black Millenium (review)

CRYPTIC WINDS — Storms of the Black Millenium album cover Album · 2001 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Vehemency
Released through Akhenaten’s (Judas Iscariot) label Breath of Night Records, ”Storms of the Black Millenium” is a fierce assault of merciless black metal, created by a band that never gained much attention. Screeching vocals scream violently while the guitars attack with simple tremolo firing: Cryptic Winds’ relentless style is somewhat reminiscent of e.g. Black Witchery, and the production is noisy, raw, so that there’s lots of clipping in the audio, but I don’t think this album was made for audiophiles anyway.

Cryptic Winds knew how to keep their style of bellicose black metal interesting. First and foremost, the album lasts for mere 25 minutes. Also, the interlude tracks ”Tempest” and ”Atomic Winter Landscapes” ensure that the album isn’t a tiring, constant presentation of sheer aggression. Not to undermine the black metal compositions either, no; tracks like ”The Ashes of Nightfall” and ”Dark Paradise” show rather sonorous and thoughtful ideas, true anthems for war. The programmed drums are sometimes slightly embarrassing (hear some parts of the title track), but in the midst of a noisy war, I don’t mind them much. Even synths are presented at times, only tastefully, as the intro track ”Prelude of Portenousness” tells.

”Storms of the Black Millenium” was a worthy discovery, even if nothing unforeseen, and it is sad that this ended up being their only output, if we don’t count the obscure demo from 1999. The booklet includes lyrics accompanied by matching images of war and destruction, so all in all it's a nice package. Fans of savage, bestial black metal, make sure to check this out if you find it anywhere - I was able to track down a second-handed copy of this album for less than three euros.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

War. Metal Related
WHORES.
Buy this album from MMA partners
The First Breath Is The Beginning Of Death Sludge Metal
IDIOT CHILD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Morbid Curiosities Sludge Metal
LUURCH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Asbestos Tiles Hardcore Punk
SUNDOWNER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lysergic Ritual Sludge Metal
SUNDOWNER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 1 day ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 1 day ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 2 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed