Ola Englund is quickly becoming one of the busiest men in metal. Now working with both Six Feet Under (whom he just departed) and The Haunted, Feared has been his “baby” since 2007. After already releasing Furor Incarnatus earlier this very year, the band recruited Clawfinger’s Jocke Skog on bass whilst drummer Kevin Talley (also one of metal’s busiest individuals) joined the ranks of Battlecross. Rather than take a moment’s rest, the Feared crew decided they should push it to the limits and release another album, Vinter, before the year comes to a close. Thankfully, there is no sign of fatigue here!
What is most impressive about Vinter is how quickly the band put the pieces together since Furor earlier this year. While Furor was no slouch, Vinter really ratchets everything up a few notches. Still following the groovy footsteps of bands like Pantera, Fear Factory, HateSphere, and Chimaira, Feared have added some atmosphere to the proceedings to memorable effect. When the band slows down on tracks like “Your God” and “My Shadow World,” the synths give the songs a more dynamic, epic quality missing in their earlier efforts. Despite undeniably heavy tracks like “Mylingen” and “Huldra,” Feared experiment a bit more with melody as well, with some better-placed (and utilized) clean vocals and riffs that will stick with you long after each listen. The main riff of “Hate is Everthing” ranks among one of the most infectious you’ll hear this year.
Though Feared have been flying somewhat below the radar (especially with some of the high-profile players involved), Vinter seems like a band primed for the limelight. They seem to have really “found” their sound and honed it here, and while it doesn’t really break any boundaries, the execution is exceptional.