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Windhand, Grief’s Infernal Flower: In Bloom

Posted in Reviews on September 16th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

windhand grief's infernal flower

More and more, the leadup to each new album release from Virginian doomers Windhand feels like an event. The five-piece have wanted little for vehemence of response going back to their 2012 self-titled debut (streamed here), which in combination with the considerable amount of road time they put in was enough so that Relapse Records came calling for the follow-up, 2013’s Soma (review here). Their touring has only helped expand their reach, and they arrive at their third album (second for Relapse), Grief’s Infernal Flower, ready to take the next step, not only as headliners, but as one of current doom’s most prevalent acts.

A comparison one might make — not sonically — is to where High on Fire were after Blessed Black Wings. A couple killer records under their belt, an underground reputation for volume and badassery, a rising profile, and a swath cut into the US and Europe through consistent touring. High on Fire‘s 2007 outing, Death is this Communion, could easily be argued as their breakout moment, and positioning Windhand‘s Grief’s Infernal Flower next to that album seems all the more appropriate when one notes that both LPs were recorded and mixed by Jack Endino (both also have cover art by Arik Roper). So we see Windhand enter into this album cycle as a band ready for the next level — and whatever that next level turns out to be will unfold over the next couple months and years as Grief’s Infernal Flower is released and received by critics and the public at large; I’m not interested in speculating how “big” it or they will be — and Endino as the producer to help them get there.

For what it’s worth, I do not think this album is as far as Windhand — the five-piece of vocalist/acoustic guitarist Dorthia Cottrell guitarists Garrett Morris and Asechiah Bogdan, bassist Parker Chandler (also Cough) and drummer Ryan Wolfe — are able to go with their sound. The nine tracks/71 minutes of Grief’s Infernal Flower are, however, easily the farthest they’ve gone with it yet. Whether it’s the consuming mire of “Hesperus” and the penultimate “Kingfisher,” both of which top 14 engrossing minutes of aired-out plod, or the acoustic tracks “Sparrow” and “Aition,” both positioned to close a second side of a 2LP release (the latter, thus, finishing the album), Windhand are the most realized and individualized they’ve yet been across Grief’s Infernal Flower‘s considerable span.

windhand

Of course, one can still hear shades of Jus Oborn‘s creeping influence in the leads of the one-two opening salvo of “Two Urns” and “Forest Clouds,” but the surrounding context in which that influence plays out has shifted to be more identifiable as Windhand‘s own, and while Soma boasted plenty of atmosphere, the reaches Windhand take the crawling “Tanngrisnir” and “Hyperion” come across as a natural extension and step forward from that. In particular, the performance of Cottrell on “Hyperion,” while layered, stands as an easy showcase for her growth as a singer and the confidence in general with which these songs are executed. She carries the acoustic tracks fluidly, as one might expect given her similarly-minded solo work, but even “Kingfisher,” which by the time it hits is not just the apex of the album but the deepest plummet of its hypnotic dive, is made richer for her delivery, which feels mirrored in the echoing guitars as only hinted prior.

And while doom is still very much at the heart of what Windhand have to offer, they continue to expand the definition of what that doom means in terms of their own sound. The early-arriving “Crypt Key” is as tonally cumbersome as “Hesperus” or “Kingfisher” once it gets past its acoustic intro and suddenly lurches forward, heavy-swaying and dreamy in kind, Chandler adding organ for even more flourish, but it’s also among the catchier tracks the band has ever written and especially in its chorus has a distinctive grunge vibe, which “Tanngrisnir” complements gorgeously. Not sure I need to note that Endino also helmed records for SoundgardenL7 and Nirvana, but I will anyway, though the nuance feels more naturally brought to bear and less calculated than the band writing a song to suit the style of their producer.

Still, it’s hard not to listen to Grief’s Infernal Flower with that collaboration in mind, which no doubt was part of the intent in working with Endino in the first place, and pivotally, it’s the band who makes the lasting impression when the album is done, Cottrell‘s resonant self-harmonies on “Aition” backed with the sound of wind to fill out the mix and remind of the foreboding ambience the band has conjured all along. Wherever Grief’s Infernal Flower takes them, and whatever its impact on the band over the long-ish term until their next outing (and beyond, I suppose), it remains Windhand‘s defining work to-date and a fresh take on ideas that, while superficially familiar, are given new life in the hands of a band reshaping their genre to suit their purposes. I’m not convinced it’s their masterpiece or their creative peak, but it’s a definite step in that direction and one that feels integral to the work Windhand want to do.

Windhand, “Crypt Key” official video

Windhand on Thee Facebooks

Windhand on Bandcamp

Windhand at Relapse Records

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Windhand Announce Headlining Tour and Grief’s Infernal Flower Album Details

Posted in Whathaveyou on June 23rd, 2015 by JJ Koczan

windhand

While they’re not making it easy on themselves in having to follow the thunderplod of Swedish heavyweights Monolord each night, if there’s anyone who might stand up to the task, it’s Richmond doomers Windhand, who today announce not only that headlining tour with Monolord and Portland heavy rockers Danava, but also the details for their forthcoming third long-player, Grief’s Infernal Flower, which stands among the most anticipated heavy offerings to come before the New Year. Cover art is by Arik Roper, production is by Jack Endino and the album itself is by Windhand, who stand poised to make a defining statement about who they are as a band and what their impact on US doom in the long run will be. I’m eager to find out.

From the PR wire:

windhand grief's infernal flower

Windhand Detail Upcoming Album Grief’s Infernal Flower Out on Relapse Records September 18th

Announce Headlining North American Tour This Fall

WINDHAND return with their third full-length, Grief’s Infernal Flower. The album was produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, High On Fire, Soundgarden) and is a massive, heavy, personal and modern testament to the power of doom and stoner metal’s legacies. One sees the urgency the band have displayed over their career reflected in their music – long-canonized tropes are reimagined and reinvented, Windhand convey an irrepressible sense of motion even within the slowest of songs.

Front woman Dorthia Cottrell firmly establishes herself as one of today’s most powerful vocalists by perfectly balancing beauty with enormous force, and the twin-guitar attack of Garrett Morris and Asechiah Bogdan weaves together nine songs of perfect riffs and fuzzed-out bliss. That often-delicate splendor is all tempered by the colossal rhythmic mastery of bassist Parker Chandler and drummer Ryan Wolfe, whose lower-register expertise serves as the backbone of the new record. Though the first two WINDHAND albums were underground classics, Grief’s Infernal Flower stands to see WINDHAND cementing themselves as one of the premier metal bands of our time.

Windhand: Garrett Morris (Guitars), Parker Chandler (Bass) Dorthia Cottrell (Vocals), Asechiah Bogdan (Guitars), Ryan Wolfe (Drums)

Windhand Live Dates:
July 28: AS220 – Providence, RI
Jul 29: Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
Jul 30: Montreal, QC – RRROOAAARRR
Jul 31: Toronto, ON – The Garrison
Sept 18: Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
Oct 21: New York, NY – Gramercy #
Oct 22: Buffalo, NY – Waiting Room #
Oct 23: Pittsburgh, PA – Smiling Moose #
Oct 24: Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle #
Oct 27: Seattle, WA – Neumos #
Oct 28: Vancouver, BC – Astoria #
Oct 29: Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios #
Oct 30: San Francisco, CA – The Chapel #
Oct 31: San Diego, CA – Night of the Shred ^
Nov 1: Los Angeles, CA – Roxy #
Nov 2: Mesa, AZ – Club Red #
Nov 3: Albuquerque, NM – Sister #
Nov 4: Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater #
Nov 6: Dallas, TX – Dada #
Nov 7: Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest Nites #
Nov 8: Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern #
Nov 11: Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups #
Nov 12: Ferndale, MI – Loving Touch #
Nov 13: Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop #
Nov 14: Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery #
Nov 15: Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts #

# – w/ Danava and Monolord
^ – w/ Monolord

Windhand
Grief’s Infernal Flower
Relapse Records
September 18th, 2015
Pre-order: Physical | Digital

1 – Two Urns
2 – Forest Clouds
3 – Crypt Key
4 – Tanngrisnir
5 – Sparrow
6 – Hyperion
7 – Hesperus
8 – Kingfisher
9 – Aition

https://www.facebook.com/WindhandVA
https://instagram.com/windhand/
http://windhandva.bandcamp.com/

Windhand, Grief’s Infernal Flower teaser

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Windhand to Release Grief’s Infernal Flower on Sept. 18

Posted in Whathaveyou on June 4th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

Anticipation is already high for Windhand‘s upcoming third album, Grief’s Infernal Flower, and I think it has been more or less since the Richmond, Virginia, five-piece released their second offering and Relapse Records debut, Soma (review here), in 2013. In the wake of that outing, they’ve become one of the most hotly-tipped doom bands in the US, and have toured at home and abroad to acclaim no less mountainous than that heaped onto their studio work.

For Grief’s Infernal Flower, the band partnered with producer Jack Endino, whose resume is the stuff of legend, from his work with Nirvana to Nebula and High on Fire, on and on. The road-dogging Windhand will likely have tour dates announced soon as they lead up to the release of the new album — there are a few shows in the Northeast scheduled as it is that seem like the trickle before the flood of their new touring cycle — but even working with someone like Endino seems like a move by a band ready to take their approach to the next level. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, I’ll casually remind that the High on Fire record Endino helmed was 2007’s Death is this Communion. That should really say it all.

The PR wire has few details but keeps things focused on the key figures:

windhand and endino

Windhand Announce New Album Grief’s Infernal Flower

Produced By Jack Endino | Out On Relapse Records September 18th

Windhand’s highly anticipated, third full-length album is ready. Grief’s Infernal Flower is set for release September 18th on Relapse Records. Recorded in Seattle at Soundhouse Recording with legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, High on Fire), the album contains nine songs and promises to be their most ambitious record to date.

Stay tuned for more info on WINDHAND.

WINDHAND US LIVE DATES:

July 28: AS220 – Providence, RI
Jul 29: Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
Jul 30: Montreal, QC – RRROOAAARRR
Jul 31: Toronto, ON – The Garrison

https://www.facebook.com/WindhandVA
http://windhandva.bandcamp.com/
http://www.relapse.com/

Windhand, Soma (2013)

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