Winds - The Imaginary Direction of Time

Metal and classical music have had a long relationship going back to the late 60’s when Deep Purple experimented with using a full orchestra and Ritchie Blackmore began playing guitar solos based on scales commonly associated with classical music rather than the blues-based soloing that had been the norm in rock music up to that point. Many of the next generation of metal bands took this further by expanding into complex twin guitar harmonies. Then came Yngwie Malmsteen, who took speed, complexity and classical influences to new levels in metal. And the story goes on and on, through to today’s symphonic black metal bands and power metal bands and prog metal bands, until we come to Winds.

Winds is a band of acclaimed Norwegian musicians, initially formed and led by keyboardist Andy Winter and including in its ranks bassist/vocalist Lars Eric Si, guitarist Carl August Tidemann (known mostly for his work with Arcturus), and Jan Axel von Blomberg (also known as Hellhammer, who has played in more bands than I care to mention here, but is mostly known for Mayhem). They debuted in 2001 with a mini-album Of Entity and Mind and followed it up quickly with 2002’s Reflections of the I. So far, the band is purely a studio project, since the bands members now live in three different countries and are also occupied with many other projects.

Now comes the hard part – describing the music. Yes, this is a fusion of progressive rock/metal with classical music. What really sets it apart is that the classical elements are there from the start and are a vital part of the music. This isn’t just rock music with strings thrown on top (or in the background). The string section (two violins, viola, and cello) should be considered full members of the band, as they are fully integrated into the songs. The songs are free-flowing – although they are relatively brief (none over six minutes), they are written as mini-symphonies. There are string intros and interludes, solo piano pieces, progressive metal riffing, and some of the most brilliant, sparkling guitar solos I’ve ever heard. The strings play rhythm or solo throughout the whole album, with the viola being a prime carrier of the mid-range melodies. Some of the greatest moments occur when various instruments come together in perfect unison for brief passages in “What is Beauty”, “Visions of Perfection”, and “Time Without End”. The playing is so organic, the production so clear – everything can be heard in perfect harmony.

The musicianship of everyone involved is, of course, as near to perfection as you can get. Andy Winter’s piano fills the songs with beautiful arpeggios and the underlying base upon which the rest of the songs are built. Blomberg plays with such restraint you may not notice everything he’s doing without close listening. The personal highlight for me is Tidemann’s guitar playing. His progressive rhythm work is excellent and his many guitar solos are about as close to neoclassical “shred” perfection as you can get. In fact, I’m normally not a big fan of show-off guitarists who don’t play for the song, but Tidemann does, in fact, play for the song, and the words I can find to describe his spiraling, pirouetting runs, which also make great use of tone, don’t seem adequate at all. To give an easily understood comparison, imagine Yngwie Malmsteen with more taste, less ego, and a greater focus on composition. That said, Tidemann does have his own soul and technique and is not just a Malmsteen clone.

There is also a uniformity to the songs – it helps to view this as one cohesive work rather than a collection of songs, as there is a sameness to the approach for each song, which I think is intentional.