Review by Ben for Winter - Into Darkness (1990)

Winter were so far ahead of their time! While doom had been around in various stages ever since Black Sabbath recorded those first, down-tuned chords back in 1970. Bands such as Saint Vitus, Pentagram and Trouble took that sound, dropped most of the rock and roll, and gave it a metallic edge. Others such as Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus gave it an epic, majestic atmosphere complete with operatic vocals. But it was Winter that took everything doom and made it something so much more sinister and darker. The invent of death metal had progressed the boundaries of morbid curiosity throughout the late 80s, and Winter took this oppressive aggression (and a huge dose of Celtic Frost) and placed it within the framework of doom. The result was by far the most depressive, apocalyptic sounding album the world had ever heard.

Joe Gonclave's drumming is so very minimal yet every beat serves an absolute purpose. While he does step up a gear at times, for the most it's a plodding yet destructive performance. Stephen Flam's guitar sound and John Alman's bass are both filthy and raw, quite often taking a backseat to the vocals and drums in the mix. The riffs are simple yet effective, creating an eerie, desolate atmosphere that runs right through the album. Funeral doom owes so very much to this album and it's no coincidence that Thergothen and Esoteric would release their first albums shortly after its release. The highlights for me are the amazing opening track Oppression Freedom (an instrumental that Esoteric would take a massive influence from), and the hugely crushing Goden. Into Darkness is a fantastic slab of death doom metal and should hold a place in the collection of any fan of the darker, more crushing side of extreme metal.