Review by Sonny for Windhand - Windhand (2012)

I have never made any secret of the fact that Windhand are my favourite female-fronted metal band and are also one of my favourite stoner doom bands, full-stop. My introduction to them actually began with their sophomore, the excellent Soma, and it wasn't until a year or two later that I tuned this, their debut in, finaly scoring a CD copy from Bandcamp after hearing Winter Sun on the band's Live at Roadburn album. Released in 2012, the debut followed a two-track practice space demo from 2010, which contained my two favourites from the debut, which also bookend the album, the opener "Black Candles" and closer and the previously mentioned, "Winter Sun".

From the very earliest days, it seems that Windhand were a band who knew exactly what they were about and the sort of sound that they were looking for. That sound is characterised by plodding, dirge-like, distorted riffs that still contain a melodic sensibility, psychedelia-tinged solos, distant, soaring female vocals that seem as if heard on the wind or in a dream and an esoteric and occult vibe. These traits are certainly in evidence here in spades on their first official release and provide the foundation and launchpad for a climb to the summit of the stoner doom mountain. Each of the five tracks on Windhand begin in a very similar manner, with a crawling bassline which is then joined by the heavily distorted main riff and hard-hitting drumbeats, followed shortly after by Dorthea Cottrell's ethereal, ghost-like vocals.

Despite the heaviness that the band generate, Windhand are still very melodic, with both the riffs and Dorthea's vocal lines being really memorable, in a still-humming-it-several-hours-later kind of way. Being a child of the late-60's and 70's I really love the retro guitar solos from guitarists Garrett Morris and ex-Alabam Thunderpussy six-string slinger, Asechiah Bogdan, both of whose swirling leadwork is heavily tinged with psychedelic tendencies. The rhythm work of bassist Nathan Hilbish and drummer Ryan Wolfe, who was previously drummer with sludge / hardcore crew, Facedowninshit, is the slow-drying glue that holds everything together, anchoring the ponderous doom-laden atmosphere that allows the guitarists to take off on their sonic flights of fancy without trading-in any of the album's inate heaviness and providing the counter to Dorthea's light and airy vocals.

Sure, this style of female-led occult doom has now become a little bit old hat now, with a seeming small army of such bands abounding, but Windhand were one of those who first took the psychedelic occult vibe of early-70's acts like Coven or Black Widow and marrying it to the punishing, dirge-like riffs of Sleep or Electric Wizard to produce this modern occult doom sound. That, and they do it so much better than everyone else. Need proof? Two words - "Winter Sun".