As Life Drifts Away - Winds of Tragedy (Review)

Black metal is something that I don’t take occasionally, but under good circumstances nothing will stop me from taking up a few records and giving them a spin. Assisted by a vibrant and mystic artwork, the latest album by Winds of Tragedy caught my attention instantly. Sergio, the artist who is behind Winds of Tragedy, is a Chilean multi-instrumentalist, has made his name with his overwhelming doom metal project, Rise To The Sky, which has accrued listeners and glowing reviews from respected metal media sites worldwide. He has returned with another of his brainchild, Winds of Tragedy and the newest album “As Life Drifts Away” is something worth considering. So here I am, discussing the album in its entirety!

From the beginning itself with tracks like “Our Time is Gone” and “Everything is Dying”, the atmospheric building is light and delicate, which wastes no time in turning the tables to reveal the lethal blackened riffs by Sergio Gonzalez Catalan. With Emidio Alexandre Ramos on drums, the duo leaves no moment to showcase their black metal aggression. The dense blackened guitar riffs with numerous layerings carry a subtle hint of melody throughout. “Everything is Dying” grows stronger and heavier with each passing moment - the brutal blast beats along with the intense lows of Sergio Gonzalez Catalan create a cold unapologetic vortex of enigma that sucks you in. “A Cold Grave” oscillates finely between the realm of blackgaze calmness and the black metal rawness. The melancholic intro with beautifully recorded guitars and keyboard soothes your auditory lobes for a few seconds, while retracting back to the hellish trve kvlt realm.

"You and I” and “A Place of Sad Despair” are the shortest of the tracks from the album, mostly relying on intense tremolo pick riffs and a great deal of layering. The use of howling samples on “Stay” evoke a sense of dread and eeriness to a certain extent. The atmospheric elements in the mix really enhance the track, aiding the riffs and guiding an emotional voyage. While “Winds of Ruin” certainly brings nothing new with its heavier elements, the long acoustic intro might be the most achingly beautiful phrasing of the record. It's almost like a throwback to the first track when "Failed This Life" finishes up, ending the saga of “As Life Drifts Away”.

With only a few riffs per song, the songwriting is pretty straightforward but engaging enough to keep you hooked - that is until the first half of the album. The second half of the album is marked by a sense of lethargy in songwriting, especially the riffs which seems almost repetitive and indistinguishable from other tracks. The things that caught my attention throughout the run-time are the soft intros and the atmospheric passages in the background. In a record full of bleak and coldness, wouldn't it be nice to put a soft, mellow track in the album instead?

Just to be clear, my criticism does not disregard “As Life Drifts Away” as a bad or an unappealing album. A record of such weight to a dense and dark sound, the album has qualities that shine throughout. Sergio Gonzalez’s unapologetic presence could be felt in the strongest manner possible. His cynicism and faithlessness views on life, reflected in the lyrics writing, is brought up thoroughly. Even the production of the album needs to be applauded. Myself, I am a big fan of polished black metal records of bands like Audn and Winds of Tragedy certainly falls in that grouping. “As Life Drifts Away” with slightly better songwriting ideas would have sparked the most interest! Nevertheless, what Sergio Gonzales serves us is a highly enjoyable record. All we can do is wait, and watch what Winds of Tragedy brings in next for us.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Website: https://www.facebook.com/WindsofTragedy

Genre: Black Metal

Label: Belfry Records

Worldwide Release: 17 June 2022