THE HOWLING WIND -

THE HOWLING WIND - PESTILENCE & PERIL - PROFOUND LORE  
Over the years, I’ve found that there’s a time and place for each record. You can’t listen to black metal during the summer (I’ve tried), just like punk doesn’t work during the winter. It’s a bizarre thing, this contextualized listening, but it’s a reality: during a warm July night, try spinning the ice-cold Norwegian winter winds of, say, early Immortal and see how it just doesn’t feel appropriate (though you might have to wait a while, given that it’s one of the perfect times for black metal, namely autumn). In any case, Pestilence & Peril is definitely a winter record, this effort being an utter and complete ode to old-school black metal, allowing only the initiated to truly appreciate. If you think Dimmu Borgir or Cradle Of Filth are black metal well, then, it’s best not to tread in this waters because you just won’t get it: The Howling Wind has crafted an ultra-aggressive arc that is pure black metal toxin on every level. The song writing on Pestilence & Peril is especially imposing, coming off both murkily atmospheric and hostile simultaneously, creating a real sense of claustrophobia in the inspired listener. - James Tape