MASTERS OF MAGIC

The second album from Northwinds is unusual in the sense that both the first and last tracks do not feature the band themselves, but rather label-mates Death SS. Not having read the booklet or information at the time of the playing the CD for the first time, I thought that the introduction was going to be typical of the rest of the album. The atmospheric and emotive keyboards/vocals of "The Great Ancient" certainly do not give any indication of the music behind. Northwinds were formed in France in the early Nineties, but by my reckoning that was nearly twenty years to late for these guys.

Northwinds play doom on a grand scale, and to these sullied ears come across as a mix of Black Sabbath and Quartz. There is a lot of space within the album, and the band has a dreamy Seventies feel. They are not afraid to move away from the riffs to a much gentler and yet very intense style, with an organ that sounds as if started life many years ago.

There is certainly enough riffing to make this album appealing to Sab fans, but it is heavily tempered and the result is an album of class. It is sung mostly in English, although the sixteen minute epic "Entre Chien Loup" is in French

Originally appeared in Feedback #69, Aug 02