This is the seventh album from Canadian one-man black metal act Nordicwinter.
After enjoying 2020’s Desolation and 2021’s Sorrow, I was pleased to see This Mournful Dawn appear. I was then surprised when I subsequently found out that the artist has released two other Nordicwinter albums between Sorrow and this new one! Has being this prolific impacted upon quality levels since I last encountered this act?
Apparently not. Quite the opposite, in fact.
This Mournful Dawn is another prime slice of atmospheric/depressive black metal. The mix of the two styles is a natural one that has served Nordic winter well over the years, and continues to do so.
Rich in forlorn melody, potent atmosphere, and immersive presence, these songs are expressive exemplars of blackened mood-building. The music is saturated in feelings of despair, loss, and hopelessness, and resonates with an emotive depth that captivates and enthrals. This is music that’s fully engaging, delivered by an artist who has clearly mastered his art.
As dark and as misery-drenched as This Mournful Dawn is, it also deals in shades of light and colour due to its command of melody and songwriting. The artist’s skills in composition, structure, and worldbuilding have continued to progress since I last encountered his work, and the four songs on This Mournful Dawn, (plus an outro), are wonderfully rendered and executed.
What a thoroughly absorbing album. When Nordicwinter is playing the world drops away and all that exists is the artist’s vision of rich darkness.
Essential listening for fans of atmospheric/depressive black metal.
Wonderbox Metal 