It seems fitting that the first snowfall of the year came just before the release of White Tomb Pilgrimage, the debut album from anonymous black metal outfit Winterburial. Despite it being the first release from Winterburial, the band already has a strong sense of identity, combining raw black metal with a sense of melody and atmosphere that conjures up mental images of snowy landscapes and freezing moons.
Winterburial don’t use atmosphere as an excuse for lackluster songwriting on White Tomb Pilgrimage; each song has a clear identity with notable riffs, melodies and tempo changes, mixed in such a way that every instrument can be heard without sterilizing the production. The album’s winter vibe is further reinforced by the cover art and song titles like “The Pathway to Eternal Frost” and “I Sit Upon the Glacier Throne.”
Winterburial’s debut album is a promising one; no word on a physical release yet but it is available now on Bandcamp.
