A staple tradition of the last few winters, Howls of Winter gathered once again fans of underground black metal from everywhere, so much so that one could hear people speaking more in different foreign languages than in Estonian throughout the weekend.
The first night is always the quieter one, being on a Thursday, February 8th, 2024. While some people had arrived earlier in the week, preparing with drinks, music, and gatherings for the event for a few days, many people only joined on the actual festival day following day — a few even just on Saturday.
So the evening actually passed by quickly, with the collaboration between HAIL CONJURER and ABSOLUTE KEY starting the festivities at the very peculiar — and surprisingly accurate — time of 19:57. Their set lasted 23 minutes, just in case you were wondering. The duo worked well as an opener, blending black metal with ambient/electronic noise, which definitely stood out from the more traditional offerings of this event — although there have been oddball bookings here and there — making it a pleasant way to begin the evening and certainly an interesting performance to witness.
Only one of the two guys actually stepped off the stage, as the following act, HOLLOW WOODS, still hailing from Finland, is one of the many projects involving Harri (HAIL CONJURER) — as well as other familiar faces, for instance, from HORSE LATITUDES. The occasion was the perfect chance to promote their new release, “Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants,” released not even a week before this show. The nature theme is often strong in the music coming from these parts of the world, audible in the band’s music as well, alternating aggressive passages with howling atmospheres that fit like a glove to the frozen darkness of winter.
Next, ILAT MAHRU changed the tone of the evening with a more chaotic and raw approach, adding a ritualistic touch of mystique that intensified the violence of their music. The long instrumental parts contributed to this more oppressive atmosphere, making the band a candidate among the unexpected surprises of this year’s edition. At least it’s been a regular on our playlist in the following days.
The last band of the night, the German HADOPELAGYAL, immediately brought to mind SORTILEGIA‘s show a few years ago at this same festival, if nothing else for the chandeliers being the only lights on stage and the fact that the band is a female-fronted-duo. However, the music is not quite the same, with the Germans being definitely more death metal-oriented in their fast-paced tempos and brutal soundscape. Darkness descended on the attentive audience for the duration of this show, delivering a no-nonsense gig that must have appeased all the fans of this anxiety-inducing black/death. Also, a great way to conclude the night!
HAIL CONJURER & ABSOLUTE KEY
HOLLOW WOODS
ILAT MAHRU
HADOPELAGYAL
Photos by Marco Manzi
