REVIEW: Winterblind – ‘EGO’
Winterblind have never been ones to play it safe. They’re here to break your metronome, hijack your neurons, and leave you grinning in a daze. With their new album ‘EGO’, the Antwerp/London quintet prove once again that they’re operating on another plane entirely, one where chaos and groove swirl together in an electrifying dance.
From the opening riffs of ‘Alleen Mor Steirve’, ‘EGO’ feels like a controlled demolition of everything you thought you knew about heavy music. Fabian Villarroel-Benitez’s vocals veer between snarling aggression and theatrical flamboyance, snapping your attention back every time you think you’ve caught your breath. Meanwhile, guitarists Nathaniel Mon Père and Thierry Wijckmans weave labyrinthine passages that wouldn’t sound out of place in a math lecture, except they’re backed by the visceral thump of Jan Kennes’ bass and Felix De Rycker’s octopus-level drumming.
Tracks like ‘I AM ME’ and ‘Fossil’ erupt like sonic puzzles, one moment you’re nodding along to a thunderous groove, and the next, you’re in freefall, tumbling through off-kilter rhythmic shifts that would make Tool blush. It’s music that dares you to keep up, equal parts athletic and anarchic, but always anchored by a sense of mischievous fun.
Winterblind’s genius lies in their refusal to take themselves too seriously, despite the razor-sharp precision of their sound. Their branding, visuals, and onstage energy radiate a tongue-in-cheek charm that makes you feel like you’re in on the joke, even as your face is being musically rearranged. They flirt with absurdity but deliver with surgical skill, making each track a journey that’s as playful as it is punishing.
In essence, ‘EGO’ is an invitation to get lost in a maze of riffs and hooks, and to embrace the gleeful mania that pulses through every measure. Think The Dillinger Escape Plan’s ferocity, Primus’ eccentricity, and System of a Down’s unpredictability, then imagine them smashed together in a kaleidoscope of sound that never sits still.
With this third album, Winterblind solidify their status as one of progressive metal’s most thrilling secrets, a band that can both blow your mind and make you laugh mid-headbang. If you’re craving music that challenges your senses while still delivering massive payoffs, ‘EGO’ is the record you didn’t know you were waiting for. Dive in, try to keep count, and prepare to question everything you thought you knew about loud and thunderous music.