Immortal Souls bring another installment of “wintermetal” in the ep Cold Sounds and once again give us a collection of melodic, yet heavy and aggressive tracks “like a winter wind on a beautiful frosty morning” in a stark, snow covered winterland.

It’s been nine years since Immortal Souls last released a full length album in Wintermetal (2015) and for me that’s too long of a wait, but thankfully we now have an ep that fits perfectly with their catalog.  For those who don’t know much about the band, it was started by brothers Esa and Aki Särkioja in 1991 in Kokkola, Finland and was rock/doom metal band.  Over the years the wintermetal sound emerged and evolved with many considering the Divine Wintertime ep (1999) being the origin of their current sound.  For those of us in the US, our first exposure to the band was likely when Facedown Records released Ice Upon the Night in 2004 a year after it was released on Fear Dark Records.  For me, Wintereich in 2007 is still a masterpiece of melodic death metal and worth checking out.  Wintermetal in 2015 was the last time we heard from Immortal Souls and now in 2024 we have the Cold Sounds ep that is everything one could hope for in a melodic death metal release.  The band’s characteristic sound features fast and pummeling verse sections with dark, growled vocals alternating with melodic sections that feature intricate guitar riffs and harmonies. 

The ep opens up with “In the Cold Light of Day” which showcases many aspects to Immortal Souls sound.  Production is stark and the band makes great use of silence which provides a cold feel overall.  In this case we have a short, heavy opening riff that immediately stops for an intricate guitar line withon then both guitars initially being the sole instruments before the rest of the band joins in.  Dark, growled vocals punctuate the verse sections an as the song continues the opening mournful lead guitar returns over the top of the rest of the sound.  Behind everything are some great drum lines and fills from Juha Kronqvist and the song fades out with a slower version of the initial lead guitar again emphasizing the sound and the silence, providing the feeling of being alone in a cold wilderness.

“Winterburnt Sorrow” follows next and is my favorite track on the ep.  Fast, heavy opening riff before the band slows and a melodic lead guitar riff comes in over the top as Immortal Souls often feature.  The verse starts slower, then picks up, eventually going at breakneck speed along with more melodic lead guitar.  The part that surprised me was the unhinged guitar solo that started as part of the melodic guitar line but the took off in a crazy direction and returned later in the song in a couple of different places.  The melodic lead guitar lines over the heavy riffs are done so well in this song.

For those looking for a bit of variety in the approach the band takes to arrangements, “Illusion of Grandeur” provides a bit of a different view bringing the bass of Aki Särkioja to the forefront in parts but still keeping the characteristic melodic lead guitar lines over the heavy riffs and blazing guitar solos.  In previous tracks the guitars were often the sole instrument at times, while here we have the bass guitar taking that role.  In both cases though, the production and mixing provide an overall stark, cold sound, which works so well with the tracks.

“Fallen to Ruins” adds in some keyboards to the melodic guitar line, which again was an unexpected element but adds a different emotional level to the song.  Having a relatively restrained guitar solo in the track works within the song and shows the understanding of the band in how to craft songs that can have an impact.  Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing for “Growlatory”, which is an acapella death metal track I can’t seem to understand.  I tried a lot but can’t get into the track.

Thankfully, the ep closes out with “Stream of Life” and the title track “Cold Sounds” which are more along the lines of what one would expect.  “Stream of Life” again makes use of stripped down sections but in this case instead of a lead guitar line, there is the main riff being set apart from the rest of the instruments.  “Stream of Life” really picks up around halfway through as the guitar solos tear off at fast pace, before the song settles into its overall slower pace for a while before speeding up and ending with a slower acoustic part. “Cold Sounds” is an aptly titled track and incorporates the elements of Immortal Souls sound which have shows up throughout the ep.  Easily one of the best tracks on the album for that reason.

When I reviewed Wintermetal, I said:

 “Wintereich (2007) is simply one of my favorite metal albums and is a great example of what melodic death metal from the lands of winter can and should sound like.  Going into Wintermetal , that is the sound I was expecting and I was not disappointed.”

I could say the same thing about Cold Sounds. And as I said with Wintermetal, Immortal Souls have further refined their “wintermetal” sound and have stripped down the overall sound that adds to the listening enjoyment and enhances  the cold, icy, heavy feel of the snowy, frozen lands.

Rating: 9/10

Written by John Jackson

Tracklist

1. In the Cold Light of Day
2. Winterburnt Sorrow
3. Illusions of Grandeur
4. Fallen to Ruins
5. Growlatory
6. Stream of Life
7. Cold Sounds

Band Members
Esa Särkioja – Guitars
Aki Särkioja – Vocals, Bass
Marko Pekkarinen – Guitars
Juha Kronqvist – Drums

Release Date: February 29th, 2024

Record Label: Independent

Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Spotify

Video for “In the Cold Light of Day”