Winterborn
Farewell To Saints

May 2009
Released: 2009, Massacre Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Mr. Rock

Formed in 2004, Finnish power metallers Winterborn have just released their second album, entitled FAREWELL TO SAINTS, which combines power metal with a generous helping of classic metal. Catchy, melodic, and well executed, the disc is a strong entry into the Edguy/Gamma Ray/Helloween genre.



Vocalist Teemu Koskela is a good singer, sounding a lot like Rob Rock (IMPELLITTERI), but with a little less bite. If he were to add a little more ‘oomph’ to his delivery, he could become a real standout. The band is tight, and the interplay shows that they are serious players.



“Black Rain” has a slow beginning, but before long things pick up. “Chaos Dwells Within” shows some nice guitar heroics. These guys can shred better than the lame ‘it’ power band Dragonforce, and they don’t have near the horrible attitude. As well, they don’t overdue the shredding, choosing to add to the song rather than overpower it. Things slow down with “Overture 1939”, an acoustic ballad. It’s a nice change of pace and fits in well with the overall feel of the album. The highlight of the disc is the closing number “Another World”. Though it’s long, there’s some really interesting songwriting going on here and the band pulls it off nicely.



FAREWELL TO SAINTS is a strong album, and Winterborn is a talented band. If you like melodic power metal, you would do well to add this to your collection.